West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday wrote to State Election Commission and alleged that the police in the city not capable to conduct a ‘peaceful’ elections. The party has termed the elections ‘farce’.
In its letter to the State Election Commission, BJP said, “With the utmost of regret and concern the BJP would like to put on record that today’s polls for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has been made a farce. Since the morning, for the entire day widespread violence, booth capturing, CC-1, cameras face covered or made to face away from the booth, our agents being driven out of booths, goons of TMC accompanying voters to the EVM.”
“Scenes of violence, bombs throwing, voters injured, BJP candidates and agents being attacked have been dominating the electronic media since the commencement of polls at 7 am for the entire day,” it read.
In a major development, the BJP and the CPM have moved the Calcutta High Court separately against alleged electoral malpractices and intimidation by the ruling Trinamul Congress during the elections.
The case is scheduled to be heard on Thursday, December 23, but the results for the 144 wards of the civic polls will be declared on Tuesday, December 21.
Deblina Sarkar, CPM politician sought the court’s permission to file a petition and it was granted. Similarly, a separate plea was moved by the state BJP leader, Pratap Banerjee.
The Left and the Congress have demanded re-elections in several wards. The State Election Commission is investigating the allegations. However, sources told The Daily Guardian that re-elections are ver unlikely. According to the commission, the referendum was peaceful except for a few sporadic incidents. Meanwhile, 453 complaints have been received, and 195 arrests have been made. Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, claimed that there were over 100 instances of irregularities during the polls, and not more than 20 per cent of the electorate could cast votes.
