Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP candidate against Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, said on Monday that he has sought the rejection of the West Bengal Chief Minister’s nomination for not declaring the six criminal cases filed against her, while filing her papers.
In his complaint to the Election Commission, Mr. Adhikari, a former confidante of Ms. Banerjee, claimed that she suppressed the information about five cases filed in Assam and another lodged by the CBI in West Bengal. He said he had mentioned the case numbers in his complaint, but did not elaborate on the offences allegedly committed by the TMC supremo.
A senior EC official said the matter was being looked into. No immediate reaction was available from the TMC.
In a significant ruling in March 2018, the Supreme Court had said the returning officer for an election can reject the nomination papers of a candidate for non-disclosure and suppression of information, including those related to their assets and criminal background.
It had ruled that voters had a fundamental right to know about their candidates, and leaving columns blank in the nomination paper amounts to violation of their right.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
