Elections to four municipal corporations — Chandernagore, Bidhannagar, Asansol and Siliguri — were held on Saturday withsome untoward incidents in Asansol and Bidhannagar. Overall, these four civic bodies recorded 72 per cent polling till 5pm. Sources in the state poll panel said the percentage could go up at the final tally as people were seen queuing up to cast their votes after 5pm.
Asansol saw the most number of clashes. But incidents big and small were reported from the other three as well.
Sources in the poll panel also said 200-odd complaints had come up during the day. “Required steps were initiated wherever complaints were found genuine,” said a poll panel official.
The Left Front, however, demanded a repoll in all the booths in Bidhannagar citing that the polling process had been vitiated by ruling Trinamul cadres. The Left lodged over 100 complaints with poll officials in Bidhannagar alone throughout the day.
The Telegraph lists some of the incidents that occurred during the day at Chandernagore, Siliguri and Bidhannagar:
Chandernagore
Incident: A blue tick was found beside the name of the Trinamul candidate in all EVMs at four polling stations.
Where: Ward 5.
Who said what: The CPM accused the ruling party of violating norms by identifying its candidate in the ballot unit.
Trinamul refuted the charges as “fabricated”.
Officialspeak: After receiving the complaints, the presiding officers were asked to clean the marks
Incident: BJP candidate Nipa Chowdhury was beaten up allegedly by Trinamul backed goons.
Where: Ward 27.
Who said what: The BJP alleged that Chowdhury was attacked when she resisted proxy voting by Trinamul goons.
The Trinamul denied the charges.
Officialspeak: Police started a probe after a formal complaint was lodged by the BJP.
Siliguri
Incident: Trinamul workers assembled in front of a polling station at Jagadish Chandra Vidyapith and protested against BJP candidate Shankar Ghosh, who is also the local MLA, and Independent candidate Bikash Ranjan Sarkar, on charges of influencing voters.
Where: Ward 24
Who said what: The BJP alleged that Trinamul was trying to prevent their leaders from resisting proxy voting by the Trinamul.
The Trinamul denied the allegation. Papia Ghosh, the president of Trinamul's Darjeeling district committee (plains) alleged Sarkar had no support base in the ward while Ghosh knew he would be defeated and hence was raising baseless allegations against Trinamul.
Officialspeak: Some tension occurred at a polling station in ward 24. but peace was restored through timely intervention.
Incident: Trinamul workers allegedly entered the polling premises at Margaret (Sister Nivedita) English Medium School and tried to influence voters.
Where: Ward 2
Who said what: Bani Pal, the BJP candidate, alleged that the Trinamul had grown “desperate” because people were voting against them.
Trinamul denied the charge.
Officialspeak: No complaint had been lodged so far.
Incident: Jayanta Roy, the BJP MP of Jalpaiguri, allegedly tried to influence voters at a polling booth in Netaji More of Siliguri.
Where: Ward 35
Who said what: Trinamul alleged that the MP had been interfering with the poll process as he sniffed his party’s defeat.
MP Roy said that he went to the spot only to see the polling and did not speak to any voter.
Officialspeak: Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
Bidhannagar.
Incident: Trinamul and BJP candidates scuffled at the polling station.
Where: Ward 37
Who said what: BJP candidate Promita Ghosh alleged that Trinamul-backed goons were rigging polls and assaulted her when she protested.
Trinamul's Minu Das Chakraborty said Ghosh assaulted her.
Officialspeak: Sources in the state election commission said complaints were received and the matter is being looked into.
Incident: The husband of the BJP candidate, allegedly assaulted by some goons, suffered a head injury.
Where: Ward 41
Who said what: BJP candidate Priyanka Chakraborty alleged that votes were being rigged inside a local school. When her husband Rajib went to check, he was assaulted, she said.
Trinamul said the BJP candidate and her husband were creating a ruckus inside the polling station.
Officialspeak: A complaint was lodged by the BJP with the police and the matter is being looked into.
Incident: A Left Front candidate and a person accompanying her were beaten up inside a polling station by allegedTrinamul goons
Where: Ward 32.
Who said what: The CPM alleged its candidate Sukanta Banerjee was pushed out of a polling station by Trinamul supporters and another person accompanying him was beaten up. Trinamul denied the charges.
Officialspeak: Complaints were lodged and the matter is being looked into.
(Reporting by Snehamoy Chakraborty, Bireswar Banerjee and Arkamoy Datta Majumdar)
