The Trinamool Congress on Thursday sought the removal of Sudeep Jain, a deputy election commissioner in-charge of the state, PTI reported. The party’s MP Derek O’ Brien has written to the poll body with the demand, claiming that Jain has a “track record” of being biased against it during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Sougata Roy told PTI.

“During the last parliamentary poll Sudeep Jain had taken several steps which were not only against the norms of the Election Commission but also against those of the federal structure,” O’Brien stated in the letter, according to PTI. “We don’t have any faith in him.”

To make his case, O’Brien cited the example of the Election Commission banning campaign in the state a day before the scheduled end, during the 2019 general elections, India Today reported. The panel had taken the decision in response to an incident of violence during a roadshow of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

O’Brien alleged that the decision was taken on the basis of “erroneous and biased” reports furnished by Jain.

“Only one political party, Bharatiya Janata Party, was allowed to complete its election campaigning for that day before such a bar was announced,” he claimed in the letter, according to India Today. “...Jain’s actions were completely biased, partisan, reeked of partiality and tainted.”

He also claimed that the Quick Response Team, comprising of state police and Central Armed Police Forces, was made to lead by a CAPF officer based on Jain’s instructions in 2019. “There is no provision anywhere [in Constitution] to give power to the CAPF to control or command the state police,” O’Brien wrote.

In a press conference in Kolkata on Thursday, Roy said that the party is apprehensive that Jain will “directly or indirectly” help the Bharatiya Janata Party. “We want him to be removed as in-charge of elections in West Bengal for the sake of free and fair poll,” Roy added.

The elections to the 294 seats in West Bengal will be held in record eight phases from March 27 to April 29. The results will be declared on May 2. The state will see a three-cornered fight between the Trinamool Congress, the BJP and an alliance between Left parties, Congress and the Indian Secular Front.