‘Torn sari’, ‘proxy voting’ slur on TMC: Allegations fly thick & fast

Mahua Das, an Independent candidate from ward 35 of Rajpur-Sonarpur municipality in South 24-Parganas alleged her apparel was ripped

Congress supporters demonstrate on NH 34 in Dalkhola town of North Dinajpur on Sunday. : Kousik Sen

TT Bureau   |   Calcutta   |   28.02.22  :  Mahua Das, an Independent candidate from ward 35 of Rajpur-Sonarpur municipality in South 24-Parganas alleged she was manhandled by goons allegedly backed by the Trinamul on Sunday when she tried to resist capturing of the booth 389.

“They tore my sari. My only fault was that I resisted their attempts to capture booth 389. Nearly 100 people were voting by proxy. I complained to policemen posted there, but pleas fell on deaf ears. They did not come forward when I was being manhandled,” alleged Das.

Though Trinamul refuted charges, residents alleged that some goons had prevented them from voting.

Das wasn’t alone in making allegations, voting in 107 civic bodies across the state — though the official figure is 108, Trinamul won all wards of Dinhata unopposed —  were marred with complaints of electoral malpractice. There were complaints of violence too. The Telegraph takes a closer look:

Municipality: Dubrajpur in Birbhum, Ward: 3

Incident: CPM cadres allegedly entered inside a booth with bamboo sticks to protest Trinamul’s alleged proxy voting. The situation turned violent after the ruling and opposition party supporters started chasing each other.

Voices: Trinamul denied the allegation. CPM leaders said a many were restrained from voting and goons entered the booth for false voting that people resisted.

Officialspeak: Police brought the situation under control.

Municipality: Rampurhat, Birbhum, Ward: 17

Incident: The CPM candidate Sanjib Mallick allegedly threw the EVM machine on the floor to protest against alleged proxy voting.

Voices: CPM accused the Trinamul of capturing the booth with help of outsiders. Trinamul denied the allegation.

Officialspeak: Police said the CPM candidate was arrested on charges of damaging the EVM.

Municipality: Burdwan, East Burdwan, Ward: 14

Incident: A BJP polling agent Ujjwal Mukherjee was allegedly kidnapped by Trinamul workers. He was later rescued and hospitalised.

Voices: The BJP held Trinamul responsible, Trinamul denied the charge.

Officialspeak: No official complaint  lodged yet.

Municipality: Kalna, East Burdwan, Ward: 11

Incident: A youth allegedly captured the booth and cast false votes.

Voices: The BJP accused Trinamul,  the latter denied the charge.

Officialspeak: No complaint lodged. Police searching for the youth.

Municipality: Arambagh, Hooghly, Ward: 11

Incident: CPM candidate Sunil Barui was allegedly beaten up by Trinamul workers outside his house.

Voices: The CPM said its candidate was going to the booth after hearing it was captured. Trinamul workers attacked him  outside his residence in Arambagh. Trinamul denied it.

Officialspeak: Police said they are yet to receive any complaint.

Municipality: Konnagar, Hooghly, Ward: 10

Incident: BJP candidate Krishna Bhattacharya was allegedly beaten up by Trinamul backed goons.

Voices: BJP accused the Trinamul of attacking their senior leader who was injured, Trinamul denied it.

Officialspeak: Police said the leader was hospitalised in Konnagar. Police are looking into the matter.

Municipality: Contai, East Midnapore, Ward: 13

Incident: 10 people were injured after the Trinamul and the BJP workers clashed with each other

Voices: The Trinamul alleged that the BJP leaders created tension as many of them entered the booth forcefully. The BJP denied the charges.

Officialspeak: RAF was sent to bring the situation under control.

Municipality: Midnapore, Midnapore West, Ward: 24

Incident: Polling was stalled after the Trinamul started alleging the presiding officer was influencing voters.

Voices: Trinamul alleged that the presiding officer was a worker of a party and was influencing voters.

Officialspeak: The presiding officer was replaced.

Municipality: Krishnagar, Nadia, Ward: 16

Incident: Laxmikanta Saha, 89, a voter fell unconscious at a queue in front of booth 96 at Monglapara primary school. Doctors at Nadia district hospital declared him brought dead. Family members claimed political tension led to a cardiac attack.

Voices: All parties, however, claimed no tension at the booth.

Officialspeak: The aged man was ill, according to doctors.

Municipality: Dalkhola, North Dinajpur, Ward: 1

Incident: Congress supporters blocked NH34, alleging that Trinamul-backed goons beat up their agents and supporters, shoved them out of a polling booth and rigged the polls.

As police reached the spot to disperse the crowd, some protesters pelted stones and bricks at them. Police reacted with a lathicharge. Traffic was hit on the highway. Congress protesters ransacked a camp office of Trinamul, which led the latter to ransack a similar office of the Congress.

Voices: Congress accused Trinamul of rigging and perpetrating violence. Trinamul denied it

Officialspeak: There was a roadblock and stone pelting. Additional forces brought the situation under control.

Municipality: Gangarampur, South Dinajpur

Ward: 9

Incident: Two Trinamul supporters alleged that some party supporters  stopped them from casting their votes and assaulted them as they protested the detention. The duo alleged their attackers tried to cast their votes. Afterwards, a group of women sat in protest near the booth.

Voices: Trinamul leaders denied to comment but confirmed that those who were attacked are their supporters.

Officialspeak: There had been some tension in the booth. Situation soon brought under control. 

 

Municipality: Balurghat, South Dinajpur

Ward: 24

Incident: Sushil Baskey, a voter, alleged that someone else cast his vote. The BJP reacted, and soon, the party’s state chief Sukanta Majumdar reached the spot with the candidate. Ujjal Basak, the district Trinamul president, also reached there.

Voices: Majumdar alleged  Trinaul is rigging the polling process. Trinamul denied the charge;.

Officialspeak: The voter was asked to cast a tender vote. The matter will be probed.

Municipality: Jalpaiguri

Ward: 24:

Incident: Goons with covered gaces and armed with iron rods and sticks entered two booths in the same campus and ransacked both the EVMs.

Voices: Polling agents of Opposition parties said they were abused and asked to leave the premises as the goons damaged the EVMs. Trinamul has not reacted.

Officialspeak: Officials said the poll data of the EVMs have been checked and has been found intact.