A day before the Election Commission of India’s full bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, arrives in Kolkata, posters ridiculing Kumar appeared in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation ward where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resides. The ECI team, including Kumar, is set to review voter document adjudication and assess readiness for the upcoming state Assembly elections during their two-day visit.
The poster depicts Kumar lying on the ground, pleading for forgiveness, with a woman’s fist striking his jaw. The woman’s face is not visible, and the word “tigress” is inscribed on the fist, possibly alluding to Banerjee. Additionally, the poster features a judge seated at a bench, presented in a cartoon format.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal unit criticized the poster as distasteful and derogatory. BJP councilor Sajal Ghosh condemned the insult towards the ECI head, emphasizing the importance of respecting democratic institutions. Ghosh also linked the incident to the Trinamool Congress’ concerns over voter list revisions that have exposed numerous fake entries.
Political analysts suggest that the Trinamool Congress strategically displayed these posters before the ECI’s visit to key public locations frequented by many residents, indicating a deliberate attempt to influence public opinion.
