Bengal Elections 2024: EC bars BJP's Abhijit Gangopadhyay from campaigning for 24 hours

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday barred former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP's Tamluk candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay from campaigning for 24 hours for his derogatory remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He has been barred starting from 17.00 hrs of 21st May. The Commission also strictly warned the BJP leader to remain careful in his public utterances during the Model Code of Conduct.

The EC action comes just a day after the former Calcutta High Court judge sent his reply to the show-cause notice issued by the commission. The poll panel acted on a complaint by the Trinamool Congress against Gangopadhyay for his remarks against Banerjee while addressing a public meeting held on May 15 in Haldia.

The BJP has fielded Gangopadhyay from the Tamluk seat in West Bengal where voting will be held on May 25. In its notice, the EC said Gangopadhyay's comment has been found to be "beyond dignity in every sense of term" and "in bad taste", and prima facie violative of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and its advisory to political parties.

Gangopadhyay was the fourth politician in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to have been served a notice for undignified remarks against women. BJP's senior leader Dilip Ghosh and Congress' Supriya Shrinate were censured by the poll body after being served notices for their remarks against Mamata Banerjee and Kangana Ranaut respectively.