TMC Complains To EC, Alleges BJP ‘Goons’ Attacked SC Candidate Sujata Mondal At Voting Booth
O’Brien, the TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP, in his complaint to the poll body said that Sujata Mondal Khan’s personal security officer also suffered head injuries and is in a critical condition.
Kolkata: With voting on in West Bengal for the third phase of the assembly elections on Tuesday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien has written to the Election Commission alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “goons” attacked Sujata Mondal Khan, the party’s Arambagh candidate, at a voting booth in Arandi area of the constituency.
O’Brien, the TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP, in his complaint to the poll body said that Sujata Mondal Khan’s personal security officer also suffered head injuries and is in a critical condition.
Alleging that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were silent spectators of the incident, he demanded that the BJP goons be apprehended.
Demanding that the assembly elections be conducted freely and fairly, the quizmaster-turned-politician also called upon the Election Commission to ensure no corrupt practices take place besides ensuring the safety of party workers and members.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee also expressed concern over the incident and accused the BJP of creating chaos and threatening her party supporters during the voting in Arambagh.
“They have inflicted serious injury on our Scheduled Caste candidate Sujata, when she visited a booth. They also hit another candidate in Khanakul. In Canning East, security forces prevented our nominee Shaukat Mollah from entering a booth. There had been numerous such instances of attack on our candidates, party workers across the state,” she said while addressing a public meeting in the state’s Alipurduar district.
Asserting that she would not get bogged down by such “intimidatory tactics”, Banerjee said she has since morning received at least 100 complaints of assault and violence.
The TMC supremo added the Election Commission has been informed about the same but to no avail.
READ: Assembly Elections Phase 3 Voting Live: West Bengal Records 68.04% Voter Turnout Till 3 PM
Sujata Mondal Khan on her part accused the BJP workers of threatening and misbehaving with women voters in Arandi area.
“In Arandi-I area here, we have minority and scheduled caste voters who love Mamata Banerjee. Goons of BJP threatened, tortured and misbehaved with women voters last night. They (BJP) did this because they know that these people will vote for me,” ANI quoted her as saying.
Voting for the high-voltage West Bengal Assembly elections, which is witnessing a direct confrontation between the TMC and BJP this time, is being held in eight phases. Polling for the first two phases were held on March 27 and April 1. The fourth phase will take place on April 10 while the results will be declared on May 2.
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