Suvendu Adhikari accuses Mamata Banerjee of rigging Lok Sabha polls, says ‘16 EVMs not counted’

The West Bengal chief minister has filed a complaint over Nandigram polling with the EC, which has directed two poll observers to submit a report by Friday evening.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Suvendu Adhikari trained guns at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hours after she levelled allegations against his party over violence reported from the Nandigram assembly constituency where voting in the second phase of assembly elections took place on Thursday. The BJP leader alleged that Banerjee influenced officials during the Lok Sabha elections held two years ago and replaced votes for BJP with TMC in two district councils.

, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari was confident of winning from Nandigram as the constituency went to polls on Thursday. (ANI Photo )

“Mamata pressurized DM and SDO during last general polls. In Arambag, the BJP candidate lost by 2,500 votes because the votes of 16 EVMs were not counted. The BJP had won Jhargram and Purulia Zilla Parishads but votes for lotus symbol were replaced with TMC symbol overnight,” Adhikari told news agency ANI.

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The claim comes amid poll rigging allegations against the BJP as well as the Election Commission by the ruling TMC. On witnessing ‘Jai Shree Ram’ sloganeering as she visited a polling booth in Nandigram, Banerjee alleged that “goons from other states” were creating a ruckus and that the poll body was acting on instructions from Union home minister Amit Shah. She also said that many local voters in Nandigram were not being allowed to vote.

The West Bengal chief minister has filed a complaint with the EC, which has directed two poll observers to submit a report by Friday evening. While the poll body, in a statement, took note of reports of alleged “gherao of the chief minister” in Nandigram, a poll observer told EC that polling wasn’t disrupted at any moment.

Adhikari also countered Banerjee’s claim that no matter what EC tries, BJP would lose and 90% of votes in Nandigram would be in favour of TMC. He expressed confidence and stated that 90% of the votes have gone to BJP, according to ANI.

Meanwhile, Yashwant Sinha, former BJP leader who recently joined the TMC, told ANI, “As per our information, Mamata Banerjee is winning with a huge margin (in Nandigram) and the opposition candidate is nowhere near her.”

The heated battle comes as Banerjee and Adhikari, who was previously a close aide of the CM, are pitted against each other from the Nandigram constituency. While the TMC supremo is seeking a third term as the chief minister of Bengal, the BJP leaders had earlier said he would quit politics if he fails to defeat Banerjee.

Voting in the eastern state is taking place in eight phases that conclude on April 29, while the results will be declared on May 2.