Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Valta Assembly constituency Dibangshu Panda on Sunday alleged widespread irregularities during polling in parts of the constituency, including manipulation of selected booths and incidents of voter intimidation.
Speaking to ANI, Panda claimed that the party raised objections over irregularities in several booths and demanded re-polling in those areas, following which the Election Commission ordered fresh polling on May 21.
“We have petitioned for re-polling in 150 booths where the cello tape was placed on the BJP symbol… They even rolled cameras in some booths… Yesterday, they took a decision on our demand and announced re-poll on May 21… In Valta, BJP will win by a margin of 1-1.5 lakh votes…,” Panda said.
He also claimed that many voters were prevented from exercising their electoral right, and that incidents of post-poll intimidation were reported.
“The next day (of voting), they (the TMC members) took away all the voters’ cards and Aadhar cards at night. Some people were not allowed to vote… they were not allowed to come… Whoever came and voted for the BJP, at night, the TMC men went and smashed their houses. They even threatened them… That’s why the villagers came and blocked the road. Then the TMC ordered the TMC to arrest them. 2-3 people were arrested. But the main culprit was not mine,” he added. “He has been arrested and we demand that he be arrested as soon as possible… The police have assured the Hindu villagers that it will not happen again and everything will return to normal… Security and safety must be provided to the nationalist Hindus and Muslims… otherwise these goons will torture us.”
Separately, BJP candidate from Noapara Assembly constituency Arjun Singh also expressed confidence in the party’s performance, claiming strong popular support on the ground.
“Our government will be formed… People are telling us that we will form the government. People are forming this government… This time, people came out of their homes to vote,” Singh told ANI.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered fresh voting at all 285 polling stations in West Bengal’s Valta Assembly constituency on May 21, even as re-polls were held at 15 booths in Paschim Magrat and Diamond Harbor Assembly constituencies on Saturday (May 2).
According to the Independent Electoral Commission, directions have been issued to hold a new re-poll in Valta “in view of serious electoral irregularities and subversion of the democratic process during polling in a large number of polling stations on 29 April.”
Earlier on Saturday, the BJP delegation met West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh visited the Netaji Indoor Stadium, which has strong rooms equipped with electronic equipment.
BJP candidate from Maniktala constituency, Tapas Roy, said the delegation raised multiple issues including alleged lapses in security deployment, misuse of staff and counting hall arrangements.
“We have come up with three issues. In Bardhaman, where people were climbing the building from outside to the fifth floor, what were the local police and district police doing? Secondly, in Pingla and Daspur, temporary workers are being deployed for tasks that they should not be assigned. This must stop. Thirdly, the Election Commission rules and regulations regarding seating arrangements of national party representatives and state representatives in the counting hall must be strictly followed. The counting officers must ensure this,” he said.
He added: “Because of incidents like what happened in Valta, Abhishek (Banerjee) won by 7,11,000 votes in Diamond Harbour. Even today in Valta, things are happening that were not supposed to happen. People were prevented from voting; in Hindu villages, our mothers and sisters were forced to go out and protest.”
Polling was held in 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal on April 23 and 29 respectively, and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
