Lok Sabha polls: Mamata Banjerjee wants Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi's removal

KOLKATA: A day after it was forced into a humiliating climbdown in a standoff with the Election Commission ( EC) over the transfers of state officials, Mamata Banerjee has hit back at the electoral watchdog, demanding the removal of one of its officials from West Bengal and accusing it of acting with political motivations.

The West Bengal chief minister, who had lashed out at the EC and initially resisted the transfers of eight officials sought by it before agreeing to it, on Wednesday demanded that the commission remove Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi from his role.

“We want removal of Zutshi from the EC. He is a blacklisted officer against whom a non-bailable warrant was issued by a Rajasthan court for his alleged involvement in a land related case. As far as I know, the person has got a stay order from the Supreme Court and we want his removal from the poll panel,” Banerjee said.