TMC urges EC to remove Bhabanipur returning officer, claims he has 'links' with BJP
The TMC has asked the Election Commission to remove Surajit Roy as the Bhabanipur returning officer. The party alleges Roy has close ties with BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. They claim this raises concerns about his neutrality. The TMC wants an inde...

In a letter to the chief election commissioner and West Bengal's chief electoral officer on March 24, the TMC's National Working Committee member Derek O'Brien claimed that Roy, a WBCS officer of the 2011 batch, was previously posted as block development officer of Nandigram-II Block and is "widely known" to be closely associated with Adhikari.
"There exist credible apprehensions regarding the independence and ability of Surajit Roy in discharging his duties as returning officer," O'Brien wrote.
Also Read: TMC files complaint with EC against BJP's Dilip Ghosh
He claimed that Adhikari's candidature from Bhawanipur gives rise to "a reasonable likelihood of bias and lack of neutrality.".
The party urged the Election Commission to immediately set aside Roy's appointment, remove him from all election-related duties and appoint "an independent, neutral and senior officer with no perceived political affiliation" as the returning officer for Bhabanipur.
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