By IANS,
Kolkata : The Trinamool Congress Wednesday lodged a complaint against former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly for maintaining links with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) despite being an Election Commission (EC) “icon” in West Bengal.
The complaint has been lodged with the West Bengal Chief Electoral Office.
“Trinamool lodged a complaint that Sourav Ganguly has political affiliation with the CPI-M, and it is against election ethics as he has become the EC’s icon. Trinamool leaders have also submitted a CD where comments of CPI-M minister Ashok Bhattacharya and Gangully are recorded,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer N.K. Sahana said.
“We have gone through the CD and apprised the Election Commission in New Delhi of the matter. The decision regarding the issue will be taken Thursday,” he added.
To promote voting rights and create awareness among the people in the state, the EC selected percussionist Bikram Ghosh and Sourav Ganguly to become its “icons”.
An advertisement featuring them urging people to vote will be aired soon.
When asked whether Sourav, being an EC icon, could campaign for any party, Sahana said: “Before selecting him as the EC’s icon, he verbally assured that he will not campaign for any political party. But we cannot stop him form campaigning for any party if he wishes to do so.
“If Sourav participates in election campaign, we can not stop him for expressing his political views publicly. In that case, we have to stop publishing the promo displaying Sourav as EC’s icon,” Sahana said.
The complaint was lodged after the CPI-M leader and state Urban Development Minister recently claimed that Ganguly would be campaigning for him in his constituency Siliguri.