EC asks Bengal Chief Secy to provide OoP information

In an unusual move, the Election Commission has directly written to Chief Secretary of West Bengal asking him to provide ‘‘additional information’’ on the alleged offices-of-profit held by nine CPI(M) MPs, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

In an unusual move, the Election Commission has directly written to Chief Secretary of West Bengal asking him to provide ‘‘additional information’’ on the alleged offices-of-profit held by nine CPI(M) MPs, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

This was after petitioner Mukul Roy of the Trinamool Congress failed to provide the ‘information’ required — especially the dates from which the MPs have been holding the offices — to adjudicate the matter.

Roy passed the buck, stating that the poll panel had the constitutional authority to directly seek information. Most of the additional information sought from the Chief Secretary pertain to dates and office tenure.

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Though the office-of-profit Bill is going to be re-introduced in less than a month’s time during the Monsoon session of Parliament in its original form, giving relief to all those MPs against whom disqualification petitions are pending, the Commission is moving ahead with the hearing of the petitions.

Apart from Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh who was called for a hearing on the matter recently, the Commission has also sought reply from Union Social Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar against whom R.L. Kain has filed a petition.

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