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High turnout, drama in pivotal second phase of West Bengal assembly elections
Tensions ran high in all 30 seats in West Bengal that went to the polls as parties traded allegations of malpractice, candidates’ convoys were attacked, and workers thrashed.
Political clashes and allegations of booth rigging marked the critical second phase of elections in West Bengal on Thursday, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee asserting she would move court over alleged irregularities, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying she was nervous about losing Nandigram, where she is fighting her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari.
Tensions ran high in all 30 seats in West Bengal that went to the polls as parties traded allegations of malpractice, candidates’ convoys were attacked, and workers thrashed. It, however, did not hamper voting. The provisional turnout was 80.43% in Bengal with Nandigram recording 80.79% polling till 5pm. The 39 constituencies that voted in Assam saw 77.21% turnout.
Banerjee spent the day crisscrossing the rural seat that was crucial in propelling the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to power in 2011. Around 1.30pm, she visited a polling booth in Boyal and criticised the Election Commission (EC) for alleged inaction over complaints of rigging. She also alleged that central forces were intimidating voters and backing BJP candidates. “There are Hindi-speaking outsiders. They are not from Bengal,” she said.
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As she was speaking, TMC and BJP workers faced-off outside, hurling bricks, trading abuses and brawling with each other. Banerjee called Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar to complain, while the administration rushed a police contingent to tamp down tensions. The CM was finally escorted out around one-and-a-half hours later.
“I am not worried about Nandigram, I am confident of victory. [But] I am worried about democracy,” Banerjee said as she showed a “V” sign for victory.
Mrinal Kanti Jana, the TMC’s booth agent at Boyal, alleged he was threatened by BJP workers. Nagendranath Tripathi, a police officer in charge of central forces in Nandigram, said things were under control. “The situation is peaceful,” said Tripathi.
Adhikari, too, faced TMC sloganeering while he was visiting booths. “She [Mamata] was sitting at home since the morning and came to Boyal to get media coverage. There was no violence. People could not cast their votes because of her,” he said.
Hours later, Modi hit back at Banerjee. Addressing back-to-back rallies in Howrah and South 24 Parganas district, he said that Banerjee was losing Nandigram. “I have heard that after seeing what happened in Nandigram today, Mamata Banerjee is going to contest from other seats,” he said.
He said the second phase of polling confirmed what the first phase indicated. “The BJP is coming to power with more than 200 seats... Didi (Banerjee) you have betrayed the people of Bengal. You have insulted the culture of Bengal. You did nothing for Bengal during a 10-year tenure,” said the PM.
The first phase, when 30 seats in the tribal-dominated western districts of the state voted, saw 79.8% turnout. Results for the 294-seat assembly will be declared on May 2. The BJP is trying to come to power for the first time in the state while the TMC is hoping for a third straight term.
Adhikari expressed confidence about winning Nandigram by a record margin. “I am confident about my victory and [am] not here to make any personal attack like my opponent. You have seen how people were coming out in the area as I went there to vote,” he said. Dhankhar said he conveyed Banerjee’s complaints to concerned authorities.
The TMC rejected Modi’s charge and said Banerjee will not contest from another seat. The party also complained to the EC about booth rigging in Moyna constituency and alleged misbehaviour of paramilitary personnel towards women voters. The complaint said BJP workers attempted “to take control of EVMs”.
“BJP and their mind games! Won’t work. Trinamool booth agents rock solid in 354 booths in Nandigram. We have registered complaints for 10 booths. All attempts by CRPF to influence/intimidate voters not working. People determined to have @MamataOfficial as their MLA,” party MP Derek O’Brien tweeted.
EC cited the report of its general observer to say voting was not disrupted at any moment at polling station 7 in Boyal despite the disturbances. It also sought a report from its special observers.
BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said that for the first time in 50 years, people in West Bengal were able to vote in a peaceful manner. “We are hopeful to win at least 28 out of the 30 seats, including Nandigram, in the second phase. People are coming out in large numbers to vote. We hope that the turnout would be over 80%.”
Tensions first spiked on Wednesday night after Uttam Dolui, a 48-year-old TMC worker, was stabbed to death in Keshpur in West Midnapore district. Dolui’s family alleged that BJP “goons” attacked him. “Our worker was murdered in Keshpur yesterday but the ECI is silent,” Banerjee said.
The BJP dismissed the allegations. “We do not believe in the politics of violence but Banerjee does. She proved it in the 2018 panchayat polls. Having realised that her defeat in Nandigram is inevitable, Banerjee is making baseless allegations,” said Bengal BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu. The EC sought a report from district authorities and deployed additional forces. Seven people were arrested in connection with the incident, police said.
Then, BJP worker Uday Dubey was found hanging at his home in Nandigram on Thursday morning. BJP leaders and Dubey’s family blamed TMC for his death. “Over the past few days, he was being pressurised by the TMC to join the party and also threatened,” said Sumita Pradhan, Dubey’s daughter. The TMC said the death was the result of a family dispute.
Elsewhere, BJP candidate Pritish Ranjan Kumar alleged TMC workers attacked his car at Keshpur. Sheuli Saha, TMC’s candidate, dismissed the allegation and accused the BJP of staging a drama to gather sympathy.
