CJP joins Rahul, says EC 'fixing' on behalf of BJP

Saurav Das called for a wider political battle to hold Election Commission to account

NEW DELHI: Slamming the freezing of TMC symbol and name as "fixing" on behalf of BJP, Rahul Gandhi and CJP co-convener Saurav Das Friday called for a wider political battle to hold Election Commission to account - their programmatic convergence and acerbic tone raising prospects of a Jantar Mantar-like protest.Reactions came in late evening from the CPM general secretary MA Baby and the CPI(M-L)L general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.While Baby told TOI that EC "doesn't have a reputation of impartiality any more", Bhattacharya claimed what EC has done is "wrong" and "now with Congress candidate arrested, there is a walkover-like situation for BJP". Bhattacharya's remarks were related to the TMC candidate for the Oct 6 Nandigram bypoll withdrawing after the EC order and Congress nominee's arrest.

Taking a jibe at EC, Das said, "'Envelope' symbol for TMC defectors. Envelope me bharr ke kya aaya tha? (what came filled in the envelope?)."Rahul said, "Shiv Sena, NCP, and now TMC. Every time, the same pattern - BJP and EC join forces to split a party. Then its poll symbol is snatched away. Vote chori, govt chori and now party chori - these have become symbols of our democratic decline."