EC sets fresh deadline for Mamata govt

This comes after the West Bengal government on Tuesday wrote to the Election Commission (EC) saying that it would not be able to transfer eight state officials during the Lok Sabha elections.

 "The shuffle would lead to administrative problems and should hence be reconsidered," state Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra wrote in his letter to the EC.

The EC had earlier set a deadline till 2.30 pm on Tuesday for the West Bengal government to transfer them.

The EC on Tuesday said it might cancel polls in West Bengal if state chief minister Mamata Banerjee refuses to abide by its order on transferring five Superintendents of Police (SPs), one district magistrate and two additional district magistrates.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo on Monday attacked the EC over the transfer of the state officials and said she will fight alone and will not bow down before it.

She called the Commission's decision a 'conspiracy'.

 "I came to know in this meeting that the Election Commission has given order for transfer of five SPs without consulting state government. The names of their replacement have also been announced," she said while addressing a poll rally at Pandua town in Hooghly district.

"I respect the Election Commission. But I am not going to bow down," Banerjee said.

"Will you only listen to what Congress will say in order to facilitate victory of Congress, BJP?" said the Chief Minister.

Calling the move a conspiracy, she said: "It is a conspiracy by a media house, the central government, the Congress, the EC, the BJP and  the CPI-M. I am going to fight alone. I don't care about your conspiracy."