In a scathing broadside delivered just before departing for her North Bengal campaign trail, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee intensified her confrontation with the Election Commission (EC), accusing the poll body of abandoning its neutrality in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Standing at the Kolkata airport, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo sparked a political firestorm by questioning the physical integrity of official EC communications. “Why does the Election Commission’s letterhead appear to carry a BJP stamp?” Banerjee asked, suggesting that the “cat is out of the bag” regarding an alleged nexus between the commission and the saffron party.

Accusations of “Backdoor Politics”

Banerjee dismissed potential excuses of administrative errors, challenging the BJP to a fair fight. “Why are you playing through the back door? Play face-to-face,” she dared. She further questioned whether the inclusion of party symbols in official notifications was a mere “clerical mistake” or a deliberate act of partisanship. The Chief Minister called upon all political parties to unite against what she described as a drift toward “one-party rule.”

The Supplementary List Controversy

The Chief Minister’s ire was not limited to branding. She raised serious concerns over the transparency of the School Service Commission (SSC) supplementary lists and the timing of their release.

Midnight Releases: Banerjee questioned why lists were being published at midnight rather than during standard hours.

Lack of Visibility : She alleged that these lists have not been displayed at the booth, block, or district levels, leading to widespread confusion and despair.

Human Cost: In a somber note, she linked the administrative instability and the recent reshuffling of IAS and IPS officers to a rising toll of human tragedy, claiming that nearly 220 people have died, including recent suicides, due to the ongoing uncertainty.

“If there is transparency, why does it take so long? What have you excluded? Have you unilaterally inserted names from a specific political party?” Banerjee asked, asserting that any progress made in the listings was only due to her party’s legal interventions.

As the state moves closer to the polls, these allegations set the stage for a high-friction legal and political battle over the independence of electoral institutions.