Peaceful Polls In West Bengal Claims EC

Wepen, April 11, 2019: The Election Commission dubbed the first phase of polling in West Bengal “by at large peaceful” except for a few skirmishes. Two constituencies namely Cooch Behar and Alipurduar went to polls on Thursday. Polling percentage stood at 82% in Alipurduar and 83% in Cooch Behar.

“No major incidents of violence has been reported except for some skirmishes” stated Aariz Aftab, Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal addressing media persons in Kolkata after the polls.

The CEO mentioned of skirmishes in Dinhata in Cooch Behar. “As soon as the incident was reported police rushed to the booth” claimed Aftab.

“Legal action has been taken on all complaints received. 2 polling persons have been show caused including the presiding officer of booth 6/212 where outsiders entered a booth and vandalized and EVM” stated the CEO.

“Three FIRs were filed. One was for vandalizing a car, one for the damage of the EVM and one for violating the Model Code of Conduct. There were 7 arrests in Cooch Behar and 1 in Alipurduar. They were preventive in nature” stated Siddhinath Gupta, Additional Director General of Police.

The vehicle of Gobinda Rai, the Left Front candidate of Cooch Behar was vandalized.

Regarding TMC leader Rabindranath Ghosh alleging that BSF personnel in the border areas had left their posts, entered booths and were “poking their nose and creating obstruction” in the polling process, Gupta stated that the matter has been taken up with the IG, BSF.

Earlier Vivek Dubey, Special Police Observer, West Bengal had declared that vote has been peaceful. “The State police had cooperated along with the CAPF. It has been fair and peaceful polling” stated Dubey.

Meanwhile a delegation comprising f Left, Congress and BJP met the CEO and demanded repolls. “We have demanded re-polls in all the booths where polls were conducted with state armed forces. There were more than 170 booths where there was some form of disturbance” claimed Naren Chatterjee,Secretary, State Committee,  All India Forward Block.

Out of the 2010 polling stations in Cooch Behar 682 had been declared critical and highly critical and were manned by 47 companies of CAPF.

Polls were by at large peaceful in Alipurduar. The constituency had 350 critical and highly critical booths manned by 36 companies of CAPF.

Pradip Bhattacharya, Congress MP Rajya Sabha complained that 10 polling booths Congress polling agents were not allowed to enter.

The day ended in Cooch Behar with a major impasse with Nishit Pramanik, the BJP candidate staging a sit in demonstration in front of the chamber of the District Election Officer and the Control Room at the Cooch Behar Polytechnic College demanding re-polls in all the booths manned by state armed forces. After 20 minutes the police and CAPF arrived led by the Additional SP and IC requesting him to move as it is the DCRC and Section 144 CRPC is in place.

CISF personnel deputed for Pramanik’s security tried to prevent him from being moved away. Later however Pramanik moved away from the spot after threatening that the BJP would launch an agitation.