Bengal Polls: EC bans CM Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours

The Election Commission on Monday imposed a 24-hour campaign ban on West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for inciting voters to gherao central forces during polling and asking votes on communal lines.

The ban will be effective from 8 pm on Monday.

In its order, the EC noted that Mamata Banerjee made "highly insinuating and provocative remark laden with serious potential of breakdown of law and order and thereby adversely affecting the election



process".

Condemning Mamata Banerjee's statements made during poll rallies earlier this month, the EC advised her to desist from using such statements in public while model code of conduct is in force.

The EC order banning the TMC chief from campaigning for 24 hours was based on two notices served to her on April 7 and April 8. In the first notice, the poll body had asked Mamata Banerjee to explain her stand on her alleged appeal for votes on communal lines during a poll rally in Hooghly.