Amid reports of violence during the fourth phase of polling in West Bengal on Monday, 29 April, both the Trinamool Congress and BJP wrote to the Election Commission, making contradicting demands over deployment of central forces.
A BJP delegation, including Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel, and the party’s media in-charge, Anil Baluni, met the top officials of the poll panel urging the EC to deploy central forces in all polling booths in the state, reported news agency PTI.
The delegation submitted a memorandum in this regard.
"The ruling Trinamool Congress workers have hijacked democracy in the state and are indulging in violence. They are being supported by the local machinery and we demand deployment of central forces in all polling booths," Naqvi said.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, too, has written a letter to the EC alleging "illegal action of central forces and violation of MCC by BJP candidates".
“There were various instances where on instructions of BJP leaders, central forces acted in a manner which is not conducive to free and fair elections in West Bengal,” the TMC said in the letter, news agency ANI reported.
Multiple Reports of Violence in WB
Violence marred the fourth phase of elections in West Bengal till afternoon. According to senior election official, clashes broke out between the supporters of rival parties in Nanoor, Rampurhat, Nalhati and Siuri areas of Birbhum seat, injuring several people on the two sides.
In Dubrajpur area of the constituency, voters allegedly engaged in a scuffle with the central forces when they were barred from entering the booths with mobile phones.
Security personnel reportedly opened fire in the air to control the mob, following which polling was stalled in the booths, the official said.
The state election office has also received reports of violence from Jemua and Barabani areas of Bardhaman East constituency, he maintained.
"In Barabani, BJP candidate and central minister minister Babul Supriyo's vehicle was vandalised allegedly by TMC workers outside a polling station, while in Jemua, voters fled from a polling station after being threatened by miscreants," he told PTI.
According to reports, Supriyo had a tiff with polling officials inside a booth, following which TMC supporters attacked his vehicle.
"Polling was peaceful in the first two hours. However, news of clashes started surfacing thereafter. We have sought reports from each of these places. Our officials are monitoring the situation and taking proper measures to conduct the election in a free and fair manner," he said.
In Birbhum constituency, the Election Commission has show-caused BJP candidate Dudh Kumar Mondal after he was seen talking over a mobile phone inside a polling booth, just before casting his ballot, the official said, adding that the presiding officer of the station has been removed.
Notably, the poll panel has put TMC's Birbhum president Anubrata Mondal under scanner after poll workers complained that they feel "threatened" by his presence.
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