The Election Commission on Thursday sought to deflect blame from the Trinamul Congress on the injuries to Mamata Banerjee by denying that the panel had taken over the law and order machinery in poll-bound Bengal.

But the commission’s assertion was challenged by former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi who pointed out that the “state government has no control over the police once elections are announced”.

Trinamul on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission, accusing the poll panel of acting at the behest of the BJP and pointing out that an “attack on the life” of the chief minister had taken place within 24 hours of the Bengal police chief being shifted by the EC.

“We told the EC that as soon as they took responsibility, changed the additional director-general (law and order), then the director-general (of state police), unilaterally. Within 24 hours of the DG being changed, an attempt was made on the life of the chief minister,” said Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee, summarising the content of the letter from the party to the commission.

“Deliberate transfers at the top echelons of the police administration on the instruction and at the behest of the BJP have been leaving a serious destabilising impact on the state administration,” he added.

The Election Commission’s response to the Trinamul letter was scathing, saying it was “full of insinuations and averments” and it would be “undignified” to react to the ruling party’s allegations.

“…it is rather unfortunate that the Memorandum (the Trinamul letter) in question is full of insinuations and averments, which in fact questions the very basis of creation and functioning of the Election Commission,” read Nirvachan Sadan’s letter, signed by Rakesh Kumar, a secretary, and sent to Trinamul.

“It is completely incorrect to suggest that the commission has taken over the law and order machinery in the state in the name of conducting elections and appropriated the whole governance structure,” the commission said.

“This virtually tantamounts to undermining the very foundation and fabric of the Constitution of India, the most sacrosanct document in any democratic polity,” the poll panel said.

The commission does not appropriate or take over the day-to-day governance of any state, including West Bengal, which keeps on functioning, it noted.

“It looks undignified even to respond to the allegations of all this being done on the behest of a particular political party, etc,” the commission added.

However, Quraishi, the former poll panel chief, tweeted later: “State government has no control over the police once elections are announced. Every policeman from DGP to the last constable stands transferred to EC. EC transfers/suspends all those against whom there are complaints of corruption or partisanship.”

The Election Commission added in its letter: “The life and security of person of Hon’ble CM and home minister, West Bengal, needs to be duly protected by all tasked with the maintenance of law and order machinery of West Bengal.”

Several seniors in Trinamul said the party would formally issue its response on Friday, after a delegation of six MPs meet the top brass of the commission at the Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi.

“But the wording of the commission’s letter is most unfortunate. It seems like it was drafted by a political party. We have been dealing with the EC for decades. It did not come across as so heavily compromised till 2019,” said a senior Trinamul MP.