Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 23: Sporadic incidents of violence and assaults on candidates including a clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress workers and its former party leader Humayun Kabir and allegations of voter intimidation in Murshidabad district forcing the Election Commission to step in marred polling in parts of West Bengal on Thursday as brisk polling was recorded right from the morning across the 152 constituencies that went to the polls in the first phase of the two-phase voting in the state.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a detailed report of the violence from the trouble-hit pockets during the polling in the state.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP) founder Humayun Kabir, who cast his vote during the early hours of polling, met with protests from Trinamool Congress supporters who raised “go back” slogans when the leader visited a polling booth in Shibnagar village in Murshidabad’s Naoda assembly constituency.
The protesters, led by local Trinamool leaders, surrounded Kabir’s vehicle and raised slogans while branding him a “BJP agent.” The demonstration sparked tension in the area around the polling station. Kabir along with some of his supporters also launched a sit-in dharna a few metres away from a polling station protesting against the TMC’s alleged “intimidation tactics.” Kabir, an MLA from Murshidabad’s Bharatpur, who has now formed his own party and is seeking re-election, was suspended from the Trinamool in December last year after he proposed the construction of a Babri-like mosque in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district.
The police were forced to use mild lathicharge to thin the crowds, but denied that the situation was out of hand. “The situation is peaceful. Nothing has happened anywhere,” Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Majid Khan said. Humayun Kabir said that he had appealed to his party cadre to remain calm. “I told all my people to stay calm. I want the voting and election to happen peacefully, and everyone should participate. My aim or intention is not to hit, scare, or threaten anyone,” he said.
Crude bombs were allegedly thrown near Shibnagar Primary School on Wednesday night in Murshidabad’s Naoda, injuring a woman. The TMC rejected the allegations, with its candidate Shahina Mumtaz Khan condemning the violence and calling it a “really bad incident.” One of the victims in the alleged crude bomb attack Trinamool MP Abu Taher Khan blamed Kabir’s party for it. “I had stepped out yesterday to offer Namaz at around 8 pm… I was standing… two boys came and threw a bomb near my foot. Humayun Kabir’s party workers have done this,” one of the victims of the reported crude bomb incident in Murshidabad yesterday said.
In Raipur village, under the Domkal Assembly constituency, several people claimed that armed people were staying in the area since early morning, creating an atmosphere of fear. Reacting to the developments, the Election Commission has sought a report from officials over allegations that several people were prevented from casting their votes in Murshidabad district’s Domkal.
Elsewhere, violence was reported from Birbhum’s Labhpur, where a BJP polling agent of candidate Debashis Ojha was allegedly assaulted, sustaining head injuries. In Dakshin Dinajpur’s Kumarganj, the BJP alleged that its candidate Suvendu Sarkar was assaulted by TMC supporters while on his way to a polling booth following reports of disturbances. He was later taken for medical treatment, party leaders said, claiming the assault took place in the presence of police.
The TMC has refuted the charges and the authorities said action would be taken against those identified through video footage.
The TMC accused the police of working in favour of the BJP in Nandigram, while the BJP candidate for the seat and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged that goons backed by the ruling party were threatening people in the area as voting was underway in the first phase.
Addressing a press conference, State Minister Shashi Panja alleged that police personnel deployed in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district were acting in favour of the BJP. She said a TMC delegation met Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal and lodged a formal complaint, seeking the removal of two police officers from poll duty. “The presence of these officers is raising serious concerns about the neutrality in the polling process,” she claimed.
The BJP rejected the allegations, with Mr Adhikari alleging that “TMC-sheltered goons” were threatening voters. “Murder accused Sheikh Sahabuddin is roaming in the area freely. He is visiting booths where Hindu voters are in the majority and threatening them. I am visiting those booths to reassure the voters,” he told reporters before rushing to one of the booths.
“I am not here for Hindu-Muslim polarisation. I am here to fight criminals and stop them. The criminals here are TMC leaders belonging to a particular community,” he alleged. Besides seeking a re-election from Nandigram, Adhikari is also fighting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur in Kolkata city which will go to the polls in the second phase on April 29.
The Congress party also filed a complaint with West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer, alleging that their party agents were forcibly removed by Trinamool Congress workers in Bharatpur Assembly Constituency. “It has come to notice that in Booth Nos. 157, 158, 159, 160, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168 and 169, the polling agents of the Indian National Congress have been forcibly removed,” the complaint read.
“In their absence, polling is reportedly being conducted by ruling party workers in an unlawful manner, which is a serious violation of the principles of free and fair elections,” a Congress leader said.
These incidents added a sharp edge to what has otherwise been described by officials as largely peaceful polling across the state, though tension simmered in several pockets. Security forces, including central armed police personnel, have been deployed in large numbers across sensitive booths, with quick response teams moving in to contain flare-ups.
Ms Banerjee had expressed surprise over the deployment of CRPF armoured vehicles for maintaining law and order during the Assembly polls, alleging that the BJP-led Centre has engaged all wings of the government to work in its favour.
Addressing a TMC rally in North 24 Parganas district, she claimed that central forces such as the CRPF, ITBP, CISF and BSF, along with other central entities including the railways, have been deployed for the elections. “Elections are a festival of democracy, not for killing anyone,” the TMC chief said, urging supporters to lodge FIRs if they face any atrocities.
“Around two lakh central force personnel have been brought into Bengal for the elections. This is unprecedented. Are they trying to intimidate me by deploying so many forces?” she asked. Challenging the BJP, Ms Banerjee said, “I want to see who has more power — the armoured vehicles or the people,” asserting that she was not afraid of the party.
Addressing another rally at Haripal in Hooghly district, the TMC chief asked the Narendra Modi government to send the armoured vehicles to Manipur instead of West Bengal. “There has been unrest in Manipur for the last three years,” she said, asking Mr Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to hold a public meeting in the north-eastern State.
“Go and see the difference, in Bengal people of all faiths live together in peace,” she said.
Claiming that the BJP has deployed security forces from across the country for the Assembly elections, Ms Banerjee said, “Terrorists come and kill Indians in Pahalgam, but they (the BJP government) cannot act against Pakistan; however, for the Bengal polls, Modi brings in all forces.” April 22 marked the first anniversary of the dastardly attack by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead and triggered a four-day military conflict with Pakistan after Indian armed forces retaliated with Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories.
The Chief Minister alleged that State police were acting in favour of the BJP. “Our police have become their associates; they no longer recognise me now, they know the BJP,” she said, while urging IAS, IPS and other officials to work impartially. Citing a recent clash between TMC and BJP workers at Ekbalpore in Kolkata, she accused the police of targeting her party’s workers and questioned why BJP candidate for Kolkata Port Rakesh Singh had not been arrested.
Claiming that a list of 1,000 TMC leaders and workers had been prepared for arrest ahead of polling, Ms Banerjee warned, “If one TMC worker is arrested, thousands of my mothers and sisters will come out.” Urging people not to vote for the BJP, she alleged that large-scale deletions from voter lists could lead to deportations if the party comes to power.
“If 90 lakh names can be deleted from the voter list in the SIR exercise, then half of the people of Bengal will be deported by way of NRC if they (BJP) comes to power,” she said. She asked everyone enrolled for Haj pilgrimage from the State to cast their votes before undertaking the journey to Mecca. “I assure you that our Haj Committee will take care of your pilgrimage,” she said.
Ms Banerjee accused the BJP of mobilising migrant workers to influence voting and alleged that the Election Commission was intimidating people by imposing restrictions such as curbs on motorbike movement ahead of polling. Claiming that the BJP was using extensive resources for campaigning, she said, “They have come to Bengal with 100 aircraft and several hundred helicopters, but they will not be seen after the polls are over.”