Merely 48 hours before polling in high-stakes Nandigram, EC replaced police observer Hitesh Choudhary with Akhilesh Singh, directing Choudhary to report to its Kolkata office. No reason was cited. CM Mamata Banerjee alleged the move was for working “impartially” and accused agencies of harassment. TMC complained police were ignoring its complaints while acting swiftly on BJP’s.
