Re-poll in Chopra booths sought

SNS, SILIGURI 19 APRIL:  BJP candidate contesting the Lok Sabha elections in the Darjeeling constituency, Raju Bista, has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and demanded repolling in many booths, especially in the Chopra Assembly Constituency in North Dinajpur district, which falls under the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.
Chopra hit the headlines yesterday as the three Lok Sabha constituencies-Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Raiganj went to the polls, then alleged Trinamul Congress-backed miscreants tried to stop people from voting.
A section of men and women, a majority of them belonging to the BJP hit the streets in protest against the miscreants' bid to capture and jam the booths and rig votes in the absence of Central Para Military Forces (CPMF).
Mr Bista demanded repolling in around 40 booths in the Chopra Assembly segment and one polling station (No 163) in the Phasidewa Assembly segment.
"Proper deployment of the forces was not done in 1400 booths, despite our repeated requests for adequate central forces. As a result, a lot of violence occurred in some areas, especially in Chopra, and many people were prevented by anti-social elements from voting in those sensitive booths. Voters in Chopra were not allowed to exercise their franchise." Mr Bista said in a letter he sent to the returning officer-cum-Darjeeling district magistrate Joyoshi Dasgupta.
According to political observers, though there was a report of alleged terror tactic and rigging of votes in Chopra, the BJP has showcased it strategically to demand more central forces in polling for the remaining Lok Sabha seats in the third phase.
According to them, just after the end of elections, the BJP candidate of Cooch Behar Nisith Pramanik staged a demonstration. demanding re-poll in several LS seats in the presence of central forces. "It was also a strategy to demand more Central forces for the second phase elections." one observer said.
The number of central force was increased in the second phase, and the Election Commission took the decision to cover over 80 percent polling booths. After the incidents in Chopra and in Islampur in North Dinajpur yesterday. official sources said more companies of CPMF will be deployed covering over 80 percent polling booths in the next phase.
Political sources also said that Chopra was under control of the CPI-M earlier. "After coming to power, the Trinamul Congress grabbed the Chopra Assembly segment. Since last year the people of Chopra, belonging to both the Congress and the CPI-M, have decided to unite to beat Trinamul Congress and they were determined to take on the ruling party as they were prevented from voting in the last rural polls." a source said.
The aggrieved people decided to take on the ruling party in the general elections, but the unity was broken after the Congress and the CPI-M failed to work out on the proposed seat-sharing formula in the Raiganj LS seat. As a result, the BJP decided to take the majority of Hindu voters into confidence to beat its rival. The Trinamul Congress, in Chopra as the anti BIP vote bank was shared by the CPI-M, Congress and the Trinamul Congress. "As a result, Trinamul-backed miscreants tried to stop those committed voters of the BJP yesterday," political sources said.
Sources also said that three other political parties shared Muslim votes from Chopra to Islampur and in other Assembly constituencies in North Dinajpur district.
K'pong probe sought
Meanwhile, the Kalimpong unit of the BJP backed by other parties like the GJMM (Bimal Gurung camp) and the GNLF today demanded impartial investigations into an incident during polling yesterday where the vehicle belonging to the BJP agent, Topden Bhutia, was vandalized by alleged Morcha (Binoy Tamang camp) supporters.