New Delhi [India], March 11 : Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Rajiv Rai on Wednesday expressed support for the impeachment motion moved by the Trinamool Congress gainst Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities related to voters' lists.
Speaking to ANI, Rai said that his party stands with the Trinamool Congress on the issue and reiterated concerns over alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls.
"We stand with the TMC on the impeachment motion. I was the one who raised my voice against the Election Commission over the issue of fifteen thousand names missing from the voters' list, and remained unheard," he said.
The Samajwadi Party MP claimed that he had earlier flagged the matter before the Election Commission, but alleged that the issue was not addressed adequately.
Rai said that the concerns over the missing names from the voters' list had raised serious questions about the functioning of the electoral process and the need for accountability.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday appealed to voters to participate actively in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections and assured that the polls would be conducted in a peaceful environment.
"The Election Commission appeals to all the voters of West Bengal that the upcoming elections will be held in a violence-free and pressure-free environment. In this festival of democracy, all the voters of West Bengal must come to vote," Kumar said during a press conference.
The CEC also said the Election Commission had spent two days reviewing election preparedness in the state, including discussions with booth-level officers and interactions with new voters who were symbolically issued EPIC cards.
However, tensions between the TMC and the Election Commission were visible during Kumar's visit, as party workers staged a black flag protest outside the Dakshineshwar Kali temple in Kolkata, where the Chief Election Commissioner had offered prayers.
West Bengal is scheduled to hold elections for its 294-member Legislative Assembly later this year.