Bengal
Brisk voting turnout in Tamluk, Contai and Ghatal
- The Statesman
- 13 May 2014
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Tamluk, 12 May
Polling for Tamluk, Contai and Ghatal parliamentary constituencies was marked by sporadic incidents of violence, booth jamming, rigging and intimidation. These two constituencies put up strong numbers much like the previous rounds of polling.
The turnout at 6 pm recorded by the Election Commission (EC) was 86.26% for Tamluk constituency, 85.44% for Contai constituency and 84.93% for Ghatal constituency.
The election special observers expressed satisfaction over the voting process. They, however, said that it was by-and-large peaceful, barring a few stray incidents of violence.
The Oppositions, CPI-M and Congress, however, brought several allegations of booth jamming, booth capturing and rigging against the ruling Trinamul Congress. The Left Front leaders are likely to lodge complaints with the EC with a demand of re-polling at 151 booths in Tamluk constituency alone.
Mr Tapas Sinha, a CPI-M candidate, who is taking on the veteran Trinamul Congress leader Mr Sisir Adhikari held the Trinamul Congress responsible for violating all types of election rules during the poll. He alleged that polling agents were beaten up and prevented from manning booths in several areas which include Chandipur, Bhagwanpur, Pataspur, Khejuri, Contai-North and South.
Mr Sinha who was critically beaten up by a group of unruly Trinamul Congress cadres at Bhagwanpur two days ago, also alleged that the prime accused, Nantu Pradhan, had captured at least three booths in Chandipur and cast all votes in favour of his party candidate in presence of police and security officers while he is being treated as an absconder.
The CPI-M leaders in Contai alleged that at least 70 booths of this constituency were captured and the party agents were beaten up. At several booths, voters were not allowed to exercise their franchises and they were forced to go back to their houses.
“Electorates were intimidated by the ruling party workers at several areas. Election observers behaved like tourists and they preferred to stay either in Digha or in Haldia”, Mr Sinha alleged.
In Nandigram, which falls under Tamluk constituency, at least 100 booths were captured by the Trinamul Congress workers. With the beginning of the poll, Trinamul workers started capturing most of the booths in Gokulnagar, Sonachura and Samsabad areas and fake votes were cast. The situation was so serious that around 60 per cent polls took place within 10 am, the Left Front leaders alleged.
This apart, 27 booths in Haldia municipal area and 14 booths in Moyna were also rigged by the ruling party workers.
A state intelligence official said the degree of rigging at Nandigram was so furious that the ruling party candidate Mr Subhendu Adhikari who was the architect of the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram in 2007 is likely to win the poll with a largest margin against the opponent in West Bengal.
Mr Adhikari, however, brushed aside the allegation and said, “People have exercised their franchises freely and fearlessly. As the Opposition was confirmed of its defeat again in Tamluk, it has placed false allegation against our party. Nandigram people know what the CPI-M leaders did in their regime.”
In Ghatal constituency, the CPI-M and the Congress have held the Trinamul Congress for exercising a large scale of intimidation on the electorates, booth capturing, booth jamming and rigging.
Mr Santosh Rana, a CPI candidate who is contesting against the Tollywood star Dipak Adhikari (Dev) was himself prevented by a group of Trinamul workers at two booths (221 and 222) in Keshpur when he had gone there to verify the allegation of booth jamming from his party workers. Later, the security forces rescued him from clutches of the angered Trinamul workers and brought the situation under control.
A CPI worker, identified as Sheikh Matiuddin, was critically beaten up by the Trinamul workers when he had gone to cast his vote at Majurhati. One of the legs was broken and he was taken to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. A local voter, named Abed Ali, was also beaten up and he suffered head injuries as the attackers beat him up with lathis.
In Beldoba village, a total of 450 electorates were gheraoed in their village till evening to prevent them from going to the booths. The CPI leaders alleged that the commission did not take any action even after repeated complaints were lodged.
In Pngla, a CPI party office was vandalised and three persons were injured when the Trinamul Congress workers attacked them. In Harbandi village, a CPI agent, Nakul Kar, was kidnapped by the ruling party workers for several hours. He was later released just a few hours before the end of the polls.
In Ghatal, a considerable number of booths (2, 10, 24, 25, 27, 37, 38, 64, 69, 71, 72, 73) were captured by the ruling party workers.
A CPI-M local committee secretary was also beaten up by the Trinamul workers when he came out of a booth after casting his vote, the Left Front leaders alleged. The CPI is likely to appeal before the EC for re-poll at 95 booths in Ghatal
As the spotlight in this round was on Ghatal, where Trinamul’s star candidate, Dev, was taking on Mr Santosh Rana, special security was given to him.
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Tamluk, 12 May
Polling for Tamluk, Contai and Ghatal parliamentary constituencies was marked by sporadic incidents of violence, booth jamming, rigging and intimidation. These two constituencies put up strong numbers much like the previous rounds of polling.
The turnout at 6 pm recorded by the Election Commission (EC) was 86.26% for Tamluk constituency, 85.44% for Contai constituency and 84.93% for Ghatal constituency.
The election special observers expressed satisfaction over the voting process. They, however, said that it was by-and-large peaceful, barring a few stray incidents of violence.
The Oppositions, CPI-M and Congress, however, brought several allegations of booth jamming, booth capturing and rigging against the ruling Trinamul Congress. The Left Front leaders are likely to lodge complaints with the EC with a demand of re-polling at 151 booths in Tamluk constituency alone.
Mr Tapas Sinha, a CPI-M candidate, who is taking on the veteran Trinamul Congress leader Mr Sisir Adhikari held the Trinamul Congress responsible for violating all types of election rules during the poll. He alleged that polling agents were beaten up and prevented from manning booths in several areas which include Chandipur, Bhagwanpur, Pataspur, Khejuri, Contai-North and South.
Mr Sinha who was critically beaten up by a group of unruly Trinamul Congress cadres at Bhagwanpur two days ago, also alleged that the prime accused, Nantu Pradhan, had captured at least three booths in Chandipur and cast all votes in favour of his party candidate in presence of police and security officers while he is being treated as an absconder.
The CPI-M leaders in Contai alleged that at least 70 booths of this constituency were captured and the party agents were beaten up. At several booths, voters were not allowed to exercise their franchises and they were forced to go back to their houses.
“Electorates were intimidated by the ruling party workers at several areas. Election observers behaved like tourists and they preferred to stay either in Digha or in Haldia”, Mr Sinha alleged.
In Nandigram, which falls under Tamluk constituency, at least 100 booths were captured by the Trinamul Congress workers. With the beginning of the poll, Trinamul workers started capturing most of the booths in Gokulnagar, Sonachura and Samsabad areas and fake votes were cast. The situation was so serious that around 60 per cent polls took place within 10 am, the Left Front leaders alleged.
This apart, 27 booths in Haldia municipal area and 14 booths in Moyna were also rigged by the ruling party workers.
A state intelligence official said the degree of rigging at Nandigram was so furious that the ruling party candidate Mr Subhendu Adhikari who was the architect of the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram in 2007 is likely to win the poll with a largest margin against the opponent in West Bengal.
Mr Adhikari, however, brushed aside the allegation and said, “People have exercised their franchises freely and fearlessly. As the Opposition was confirmed of its defeat again in Tamluk, it has placed false allegation against our party. Nandigram people know what the CPI-M leaders did in their regime.”
In Ghatal constituency, the CPI-M and the Congress have held the Trinamul Congress for exercising a large scale of intimidation on the electorates, booth capturing, booth jamming and rigging.
Mr Santosh Rana, a CPI candidate who is contesting against the Tollywood star Dipak Adhikari (Dev) was himself prevented by a group of Trinamul workers at two booths (221 and 222) in Keshpur when he had gone there to verify the allegation of booth jamming from his party workers. Later, the security forces rescued him from clutches of the angered Trinamul workers and brought the situation under control.
A CPI worker, identified as Sheikh Matiuddin, was critically beaten up by the Trinamul workers when he had gone to cast his vote at Majurhati. One of the legs was broken and he was taken to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. A local voter, named Abed Ali, was also beaten up and he suffered head injuries as the attackers beat him up with lathis.
In Beldoba village, a total of 450 electorates were gheraoed in their village till evening to prevent them from going to the booths. The CPI leaders alleged that the commission did not take any action even after repeated complaints were lodged.
In Pngla, a CPI party office was vandalised and three persons were injured when the Trinamul Congress workers attacked them. In Harbandi village, a CPI agent, Nakul Kar, was kidnapped by the ruling party workers for several hours. He was later released just a few hours before the end of the polls.
In Ghatal, a considerable number of booths (2, 10, 24, 25, 27, 37, 38, 64, 69, 71, 72, 73) were captured by the ruling party workers.
A CPI-M local committee secretary was also beaten up by the Trinamul workers when he came out of a booth after casting his vote, the Left Front leaders alleged. The CPI is likely to appeal before the EC for re-poll at 95 booths in Ghatal
As the spotlight in this round was on Ghatal, where Trinamul’s star candidate, Dev, was taking on Mr Santosh Rana, special security was given to him.
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