On Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged India’s Election Commission to take lessons from Bangladesh, citing what she called a peaceful national election there. Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat, Nabanna, Banerjee criticized the Commission ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, expected in May though the schedule is yet to be announced.
She accused the Commission of acting in an “authoritarian” manner since the start of the SIR process, alleging that “Tughlaqi actions” and a “threat culture” were undermining democracy. Referring to Bangladesh’s recent polls, she noted that despite expectations of unrest, voting occurred peacefully. “In a democratic country like India, the Commission should feel ashamed,” she added, intensifying her criticism ahead of the elections.
