The CPM filed a complaint with the chief electoral officer on Thursday, accusing police of not allowing them to access a specific road in Bhawanipore, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata South parliamentary constituency, for its campaign in support of candidate Saira Shah Halim.

The CPM accused an additional officer-in-charge of Kalighat police station, Sanjay Mishra, of obstructing party workers and Halim from campaigning on Harish Mukherjee Road. The party urged the Election Commission to take stringent action against Mishra and sought his removal from poll-related responsibilities.

Halim is contesting against Trinamul's Mala Roy and BJP's Debasree Chowdhury.

The stretch where the CPM wanted to campaign has the residence of Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. A CPM leader said: "The obstruction was done to stop us from campaigning near the residence of Abhishek Banerjee."

On Thursday morning when Halim and her supporters tried to enter Harish Mukherjee Road to campaign, the police led by Mishra halted them and directed them to an alternative route. Protesting, Halim and other CPM supporters insisted on their right to access the road.

Saira was heard telling a cop: "You are telling us that Section 144 of the IPC has been imposed on the road and we cannot go (there to campaign). Why will IPC 144 be imposed on a stretch of Calcutta? Is it Kashmir?"

The police claimed that the party lacked permission to campaign in the area.

Refuting the charge, a CPM leader said they had followed the procedure on the Suvidha portal of the Election Commission, giving names of roads and areas to be covered in detail along with an application for permission. The EC has sought a report from the district electoral officer on the incident.