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New Delhi, Apr 27 (ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury met Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quereshi here on Wednesday and called for investigation of the usage of black money in the ongoing assembly polls in West Bengal.

Yechury said the party had earlier also talked to the Commission about the usage of black money, and according to the instructions of the Commission, had submitted all the evidence.

He said that they now hope the Commission would begin its investigation into the claims

“The usage of black money in the elections about which we raised the point earlier with the Commission, we even submitted evidences with the Commission. Commission said, ‘if you have any more evidence, please furnish it to us,’ and that evidences was furnished yesterday to the chief election officer in Bengal,” Yechury told reporters outside the Election Commission’s Office here.

“We requested the Commission; the nature of that information is such that it cannot be transmitted, in that sense to be given them here. But their chief officer has got the information and I requested the commission that on the basis of the earlier assurance that we provide these evidence, they will investigate into the matter, they should immediately investigate,” he added.

The CPI-M veteran also criticized Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram, saying the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) combine are revealing certain data partially in order to influence electorates, which violates the Election Commission’s code of conduct.

“The selective leakage of the data that the Union Home Ministry is indulging in, trying to portray the Left Front as the aggressor and our opponents as the victim, whereas it is in their own records, their own figures, it can be seen that since the Lok Sabha elections, nearly 380 Left Front workers have been killed by the Trinamool and the Maoists combined, and this data exists with all the required evidences, but on this Home Ministry is quiet,” said Yechury.

“But they are releasing selective data which is tantamount to unfairly seeking to influence the voter, which is a violation of the code of conduct,” he added.

Yechury further said Chidambaram has the right to speak as a minister of the ruling Congress party, but he is privy to certain information in his capacity as Home Minister.

Yechury added such information could not be selectively released as it put certain people at an advantage and others at a disadvantage.

The first and second phase of voting in West Bengal took place on April 18 and 23 respectively.

The third phase will take place on April 27, fourth phase on May 3, fifth phase on May 7 and sixth phase on May 10. (ANI)