EC rubbishes Mamata Banerjee's Nandigram claims, warns of action

The Election Commission on Sunday responded to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of voter intimidation at Nandigram booth during the second phase of assembly elections on April 1. The poll body sent a point-by-point response to Mamata's letter citing concerns over alleged discrepancies. The EC said Mamata's handwritten complaint is "factually incorrect" and "devoid of substance and added that it is contemplating action under the relevant sections of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act.

The EC cited the reports by special observers and officials "at various levels" to say that there was "no mention of either outsiders or guns and goons capturing the said booth". There was no report of any violence, nor was there any intimidation of voters at the Boyal polling booth, the EC said.