Trinamul failed to depute polling agents in at least 28 booths in Nandigram — an unprecedented no-show by ruling party polling agents in a seat where their party supremo Mamata Banerjee is pitted against turncoat Suvendu Adhikari — amid murmurs of the saffron camp’s money and muscle power.

Trinamul insiders alleged that though there were a few instances of polling agents not turning up because of BJP’s threats, in other cases polling agents were “hand in glove” with the saffron camp.

“This is unprecedented after we came to power in Bengal in 2011,” said a source.

A polling agent in a booth is vital for a party as the person looks after the entire poll process with a right to object if any malpractice is reported. The absence of a polling agent gives an advantage to rivals.

The trend of Trinamul polling agents missing in action in Nandigram came to light early in the day when Mrinal Barik, polling agent of Trinamul at booth 7 in Boyal village, was not found at home when a police team along with local Trinamul leaders went there.

Since morning, Trinamul workers had started accusing the BJP of not allowing their polling agents to enter booths. Following this, Nagendranath Tripathi, the IPS officer in charge of Nandigram police station, asked a local Trinamul leader to bring his polling agent, adding he would personally ensure that person’s presence in the booth.

Tripathi also went to Trinamul polling agent Barik’s home with party workers, but the man was not at home. Barik’s wife Ganga said her husband, a barber, was out on work.

“This is a clear example that our person was wooed by the BJP,” said a Trinamul leader, adding that the Trinamul pradhan of Boyal I gram panchayat recently joined BJP and most polling agents had also switched to the new camp.

“BJP leaders are threatening us and asking us not to go anywhere near the polling booth...I was scared and did not send my son,” said the mother of another absentee Trinamul polling agent.

Sheikh Sufiyan, Mamata’s election agent, ruled out the possibility of the party’s agents being “bought” by the BJP.

“They are just too scared,” said Sufiyan.

The BJP and the CPM also could not depute polling agents in 30 and 58 booths, respectively, for different reasons. Sources said the BJP could not depute polling agents in minority-dominated areas and the CPM failed because of depleted organisational strength.

“It is natural for the opposition parties to find it difficult to depute agents at all polling stations... But this time we (being the ruling party) could not field our polling agents (in all 255 booths) as Suvendu’s men changed everything,” said a Trinamul leader in Nandigram.

The Trinamul leader’s take on the Nandigram scenario reminded many of what Mamata had alleged in her speech in Purulia on March 23, that the BJP had been asking some of Trinamul polling agents to work for them (the BJP) on election day in exchange of Rs 5 lakh.

The situation was different in other districts like Bankura, where Trinamul polling agents were chosen after necessary checks.

“We received a directive from the party in Calcutta to select trusted faces as polling agents. We had selected agents who are very trustworthy... So far, we have no report from any booth without our polling agent,” said Dilip Agrawal, a Trinamul spokesperson in Bankura.