Barb trade continued between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party as violence erupted during the campaigning and polling day for the panchayat elections in West Bengal. Latest in the series was the allegation of booth capturing in Abhishek Banerjee’s Harbour Diamond Lok Sabha constituency by BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya. Holding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responsible, Malviya said democracy has been reduced to a joke in Bengal.
“Mamata Banerjee has reduced democracy to a joke in Bengal. In Diamond Harbour, her nephew’s LS, villagers found stamped ballot papers in Netra GP, Booth No-5. TMC captured the booth last night and ‘completed’ voting. SEC is in contempt of Court orders. No security, no CCTV cameras…” Malviya tweeted.
Hitting out at Malviya, TMC MP Nusrat Jahan said Netea GP jurisdiction fell under Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency and not Diamond Harbour.
“Oh look, another day, another reminder of how detached @BJP4India leaders are from Bengal's political landscape.Netra GP's jurisdiction is under Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency and not Diamond Harbour as @amitmalviya would have you believe,” tweeted the MP in response.
“Unfortunately, his IT Cell can't tweak facts to spread propaganda. This misinformation campaign has to stop!” she added.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Khagen Murmu on Sunday alleged ballot rigging during Saturday polls in Malda and demanded re-polling.
The panchayat elections were marred by violence, both in the run-up to the polls and on election day. As clashes and incidents of booth capturing were reported in various districts, 18 people were reported dead in poll-related violence.
Ten members of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) were killed, three each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, and two each from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), as per an ANI report.
These incidents sparked a spat between the TMC and the BJP, with the latter demanding re-elections in several booths.
Several instances of ballot box vandalism and destruction were also reported throughout the day.
Ballot boxes and ballot papers were set on fire at a booth in Baravita Govt Primary School in the Dinhata area of Cooch Behar district, ANI reported.
Locals in the Barnachina area set fire to a ballot box, accusing it of being tampered with, while miscreants set fire to a police vehicle in the Murshidabad district, it added.