TMC Accuses Police Observer of Unofficial Meeting with BJP During West Bengal Elections
West Bengal polls: As TMC levels ‘secret meeting’ charge, who are police observers?
The Indian Express
Image: The Indian Express
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused Police Observer Parmar Smit Parshottamdas of holding an unofficial meeting with BJP candidate Gour Sundar Ghosh during the West Bengal Assembly elections. The TMC lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging violations of protocol, while the BJP defended the meeting as official.
- 01TMC alleges Police Observer held an unofficial meeting with BJP leaders.
- 02The meeting took place at Sagarika Hotel in Diamond Harbour on April 20.
- 03Police Observers are appointed by the Election Commission to ensure fair elections.
- 04BJP claims the meeting was official and related to campaign issues.
- 05Election Commission sources stated the meeting was held at a designated official location.
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During the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused Police Observer Parmar Smit Parshottamdas of conducting a 'private, unscheduled, unrecorded, and entirely unofficial meeting' with BJP candidate Gour Sundar Ghosh and other BJP leaders at Sagarika Hotel in Diamond Harbour on April 20, 2026. The TMC lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), asserting that Parshottamdas violated protocol by not using the official accommodation provided to him. The party shared videos purportedly showing the Police Observer entering the hotel and meeting BJP leaders. Police Observers, appointed by the EC, are Indian Police Service (IPS) officers responsible for monitoring election-related activities and ensuring law and order. They cannot be from the local police force. The BJP refuted the TMC's claims, stating that the meeting was conducted officially to address campaign-related issues. EC sources confirmed that the meeting occurred at a designated official venue, dismissing allegations of secrecy.
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The allegations could influence voter perception and trust in the electoral process in West Bengal.
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