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Central forces to stay after voting to prevent clashes in some WB constituencies
On Friday, post-poll clashes broke out at Bheturia in Nandigram, allegedly between the TMC and the BJP. A large contingent of RAF and central forces rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control
The Election Commission has decided to retain some companies of Central forces in certain constituencies and sensitive areas of West Bengal even after the polling day, a senior poll panel official said on Friday.
Post-poll clashes were reported from Nandigram in East Midnapore district while there was palpable tension in Keshpur, West Midnapore.
“We have deployed a large number of security forces. Apart from sending in security forces well in advance to places where voting is to be held, we would also be retaining forces in constituencies where elections have been held to monitor the post-poll situation,” said a senior poll panel official.
On Thursday, TMC MP Dibyendu Adhikari wrote to state’s chief electoral officer over his “apprehension of disruption of communal harmony” in Nandigram. He urged the authorities to take precautionary measures.
On Friday, post-poll clashes broke out at Bheturia in Nandigram, allegedly between the TMC and the BJP. A large contingent of RAF and central forces were rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Both TMC and BJP blamed each other for the clashes. Local BJP worker Sandhya Sardar said, “There were some clashes in the morning but it stopped as soon as the central forces came in. We know it would start again as soon as the forces leave.” However, TMC worker Biton Jana said, “They (BJP) assaulted my brother when he was going to the fields. Thereafter, there were some clashes.”
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At Keshpur, where TMC worker Uttam Dolui was killed on Wednesday night, local villagers blocked road with burning tyres, demanding justice. Both Keshpur and Nandigram went to polls on Thursday in the second phase. In Nandigram, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is pitted against BJP heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari.
In South 24 Parganas, BJP’s candidate of Diamond Harbour constituency was attacked. At least 10 others were injured. However, the police said there were no complaints. A policeman was injured when cops went to disperse a crowd blocking the road. Two persons were arrested. The constituency goes to poll in the third phase on April 6.
Police also recovered crude bombs from many places, including Bhangar and Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas and Suti in Murshidabad. From Dankuni in Hooghly district, police arrested a man and recovered seven pistols and around 300 rounds of ammunition.
In Kolkata, a TMC delegation led by veteran leader Subrata Mukherjee met the state’s poll panel head. “We have urged the EC to ensure a violence-free poll. Several complaints were lodged against central police force personnel. We have demanded that those personnel shouldn’t be deployed in the next phases. We have also taken up the matter of EVM malfunction,” said Mukherjee. A delegation of Congress and CPIM also went to the EC, demanding free and fair elections from the third phase.
The state chief electoral officer received more than 1,600 complaints on Thursday when 30 assembly seats in four districts went to polls.
“By now, the TMC leaders and workers have come to know that their defeat in imminent. The way people voted in the first and second phase, particularly in Nandigram, the picture is quite clear. So, they have started to resort to violent measures. Our workers and leaders are not being spared. But people will give them a befitting reply. It is just a matter of a few days,” said BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya.
