‘Hope you sleep soundly tonight’: TMC-EC meeting turns tense; what transpired inside

TMC delegation who met the Election Commission

NEW DELHI: A meeting between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday morning lasted under 10 minutes and ended on a tense note, with EC sources alleging that TMC MP Derek O’Brien “shouted at the Election Commission functionaries and asked chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar not to speak”.Sources said the CEC had to ask O’Brien to maintain decorum in the Commission room, telling him that “shouting and indecent behaviour is not appropriate”.After the Rajya Sabha MP was done raising points on behalf of his party, and as the CEC began to respond with the assertion that the coming polls in West Bengal will be “fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, inducement-free and without any chhaapa, booth jamming or source jamming”, Derek allegedly interrupted him, saying that he had come to speak and not to listen. He then left the room in a huff with the rest of the delegation.As per EC sources, the meeting began with the Trinamool Congress presenting a memorandum to the Commission. As per usual practice, the party fielded its leader — in this instance, Derek — to speak first. However, he began speaking “in a raised voice and a combative tone”, an EC official told TOI.Derek accused the EC of not responding to multiple letters written by his party expressing concerns over a host of issues. The Rajya Sabha MP also raised objections to the “motivated” transfers of senior officers of the West Bengal administration and police in the run-up to the polls.He further accused the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer of bias, pointing out that his recent visit to Nandigram coincided with that of BJP leaders.A source said Derek, soon after presenting the party’s case in an “inappropriately hot-headed manner” in a small Commission room that held no more than 7-8 EC representatives, announced: “I am done speaking”.When the CEC started to respond, the MP allegedly interrupted him, saying that he had come to the meeting to speak and that the Commission should only listen. He then walked out in a huff, with the parting shot: “I hope you sleep soundly tonight”.