‘Gyanesh Kumar deserves at least Padma Bhushan’: Bengal BJP chief backs CEC

NEW DELHI: West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has come out strongly in support of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid a growing Congress-led campaign against him. Bhattacharya said that Kumar deserves "at the very least, the Padma Bhushan" for overseeing peaceful elections and changes to the electoral rolls in the state.Bhattacharya also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that even members of his own party do not take his statements seriously."The fact is, even the Congress party itself doesn't heed Rahul Gandhi's words; they don't take him seriously... Gyanesh Kumar deserves, at the very least, the Padma Bhushan," Bhattacharya said while speaking to reporters.Praising the conduct of elections in West Bengal, the BJP leader said voters were able to cast their ballots without fear or intimidation."The people of West Bengal are delighted that, after so long, intimidation was kept at bay.