'Factually Incorrect': EC Rejects Mamata's Claims Of 'Voter Intimidation' At Nandigram Polling Booth
The Election Commission also rubbished the allegations made against Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at the Boyal polling station in Nandigram stating there is no evidence to suggest that they “indulged in any inappropriate behaviour”.
New Delhi: The Election Commission has responded to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee’s letter citing concerns over alleged discrepancies during voting at the Boyal polling booth in Nandigram during the second phase of voting on April 1 and said the allegations mentioned are “factually incorrect, without any empirical evidence whatsoever and devoid of substance”.
Citing the reports submitted by special observers and officials, the poll body said that there was “no mention of either outsiders or guns and goons capturing the said booth”.
The Election Commission also rubbished the allegations made against Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at the Boyal polling station in Nandigram stating there is no evidence to suggest that they “indulged in any inappropriate behaviour”.
“Moreover, the complaint that they did not allow the voters to go inside the booth is far from the truth,” the poll body said.
The Election Commission in its point-by-point response said that the polling agents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), CPI (M) and an independent were present inside the Boyal polling booth when the mock drill took place.
Pointing out that the TMC polling agent never showed up at the Boyal polling booth, the poll body said: “The ECI cannot force any one unwilling to work as a polling agent.”
Stating the relevant CCTV footage is available with the Commission to prove that there was no wrongdoing in the process, the poll body while responding to the TMC supremo’s hand-written complaint said there was no report of any violence nor was there any intimidation of voters at the Boyal booth.
The TMC supremo is in the fray from Nandigram against her former protégé Suvendu Akhikari, now with the BJP.
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