Bengal
Junglemahal: Polling peaceful
- The Statesman
- 08 May 2014
Sporadic incidents of violence, allegations of rigging in a few blocks
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Midnapore, 7 May
The fourth leg of the five-phase parliamentary polls in the state, were largely peaceful in the most sensitive Junglemahal constituencies of West Midnapore – Jhargram and Midnapore today, barring some sporadic incidents of violence in a few blocks of the district.
The Election Commission recorded a voter turn out of 87.88% in Jhargram constituency and 81.45% at Midnapore constituency as the 10-hour-long polling ended at 5 p.m. However, polling hours in some booths in Jhargram constituency were restricted and the polling was ended in these booths at 3 p.m. The numbers may increase as people were waiting outside polling stations even after the end of the polling time at few booths.
The district election officer expressed satisfaction over the voting process. He said that it was largely peaceful and no major incident was reported.
The Opposition 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 70 booths in Midnapore constituency alone.
The CPI-M district secretary Mr Dipak Sarkar, alleged that polling agents were beaten up and prevented from manning the booths in several areas of both the constituencies. He also alleged a lot of booths across Midnapore and Jhargram were captured by the Trinamul Congress activists and fake votes were cast.
Mr Prabodh Panda, a contesting CPI candidate from Midnapore constituency alleged that at least 70 booths of his constituency were captured and his party agents were beaten up.
Mr Panda himself was gheraoed by a group of Trinamul workers when he went to cast his franchise at booth no. 284 of Nirmal Hriday Girls School at around 7.30 am. The Trinamul workers alleged that he used the vehicle where MP’s sticker was pasted.
A polling agent identified as Jiten Roy (50) of Baharkhola booth was critically beaten up by the Trinamul Congress workers when he came out from the booth at around 2.30 pm. The attackers picked him up from inside the booth premises and took him to a nearby jungle. After beating him mercilessly, they abandoned him in the forest. A cyclist spotted him and informed the police who rescued him from the site and admitted him to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.
In Kesiary, at least 17 booths were rigged till 12.30 pm, but the security personnel took no action even after complaints lodged with the returning officer, Mr Panda alleged. Reporters and photographers were also not allowed in the booth premises of most booths in Kesiary and a reporter of a leading Bengali newspaper was beaten up when he tried to get entry into a booth.
Mr Panda also alleged that security personnel were not deployed at several booths in Kesiary, Narayangarh, Dantan and Kharagpur (Rural) booths.
Central security forces were deployed across all booths in Jhargram constituency, which was once hotbed of Maoist insurgency. Helicopters, with a medical support team on board, were pressed into service in the affected areas. Bomb disposal squads, road opening parties and anti-landmine vehicles too were taken on stand-by for emergency services in this region.
During the trip along the forested routes for remote booths, adequate numbers of security personnel were seen on duty.
Tribal residents who queued in front of most of the booths since early morning for casting their franchises were fearless. “Ekhan amader kono bhai nei maobadi nie. Tai vote dite sakal thekei line-e dariechi (Now, we have no fear about Maoists. So, we have come to stand in the queue to cast my vote), said Ekata Mandi, an aged resident of Lalgarh.
The CPI-M leadership accused the ruling party of unleashing terror at many booths in Garbeta and Salboni. "At least 90 agents of our party were removed from the booths and they were later either beaten up or threatened on dire consequences. Four polling agents are still missing. We will lodge a complaint with the returning officer tonight”, said a CPI-M leader.
BJP leaders have alleged that their party agents of at least 50 booths in Egra were taken out from the booths and they were later beaten up. The wife of a BJP leader was allegedly molested by Trinamul workers last night in Egra. A complaint has already been lodged with the Egra police. The BJP alleged that over 70 per cent booths in Egra, Narayangarh, Kesiary and Dantan didn't have Central forces.
The district Trinamul Congress leadership has, however, denied the allegations.
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Midnapore, 7 May
The fourth leg of the five-phase parliamentary polls in the state, were largely peaceful in the most sensitive Junglemahal constituencies of West Midnapore – Jhargram and Midnapore today, barring some sporadic incidents of violence in a few blocks of the district.
The Election Commission recorded a voter turn out of 87.88% in Jhargram constituency and 81.45% at Midnapore constituency as the 10-hour-long polling ended at 5 p.m. However, polling hours in some booths in Jhargram constituency were restricted and the polling was ended in these booths at 3 p.m. The numbers may increase as people were waiting outside polling stations even after the end of the polling time at few booths.
The district election officer expressed satisfaction over the voting process. He said that it was largely peaceful and no major incident was reported.
The Opposition 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 70 booths in Midnapore constituency alone.
The CPI-M district secretary Mr Dipak Sarkar, alleged that polling agents were beaten up and prevented from manning the booths in several areas of both the constituencies. He also alleged a lot of booths across Midnapore and Jhargram were captured by the Trinamul Congress activists and fake votes were cast.
Mr Prabodh Panda, a contesting CPI candidate from Midnapore constituency alleged that at least 70 booths of his constituency were captured and his party agents were beaten up.
Mr Panda himself was gheraoed by a group of Trinamul workers when he went to cast his franchise at booth no. 284 of Nirmal Hriday Girls School at around 7.30 am. The Trinamul workers alleged that he used the vehicle where MP’s sticker was pasted.
A polling agent identified as Jiten Roy (50) of Baharkhola booth was critically beaten up by the Trinamul Congress workers when he came out from the booth at around 2.30 pm. The attackers picked him up from inside the booth premises and took him to a nearby jungle. After beating him mercilessly, they abandoned him in the forest. A cyclist spotted him and informed the police who rescued him from the site and admitted him to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.
In Kesiary, at least 17 booths were rigged till 12.30 pm, but the security personnel took no action even after complaints lodged with the returning officer, Mr Panda alleged. Reporters and photographers were also not allowed in the booth premises of most booths in Kesiary and a reporter of a leading Bengali newspaper was beaten up when he tried to get entry into a booth.
Mr Panda also alleged that security personnel were not deployed at several booths in Kesiary, Narayangarh, Dantan and Kharagpur (Rural) booths.
Central security forces were deployed across all booths in Jhargram constituency, which was once hotbed of Maoist insurgency. Helicopters, with a medical support team on board, were pressed into service in the affected areas. Bomb disposal squads, road opening parties and anti-landmine vehicles too were taken on stand-by for emergency services in this region.
During the trip along the forested routes for remote booths, adequate numbers of security personnel were seen on duty.
Tribal residents who queued in front of most of the booths since early morning for casting their franchises were fearless. “Ekhan amader kono bhai nei maobadi nie. Tai vote dite sakal thekei line-e dariechi (Now, we have no fear about Maoists. So, we have come to stand in the queue to cast my vote), said Ekata Mandi, an aged resident of Lalgarh.
The CPI-M leadership accused the ruling party of unleashing terror at many booths in Garbeta and Salboni. "At least 90 agents of our party were removed from the booths and they were later either beaten up or threatened on dire consequences. Four polling agents are still missing. We will lodge a complaint with the returning officer tonight”, said a CPI-M leader.
BJP leaders have alleged that their party agents of at least 50 booths in Egra were taken out from the booths and they were later beaten up. The wife of a BJP leader was allegedly molested by Trinamul workers last night in Egra. A complaint has already been lodged with the Egra police. The BJP alleged that over 70 per cent booths in Egra, Narayangarh, Kesiary and Dantan didn't have Central forces.
The district Trinamul Congress leadership has, however, denied the allegations.
No comments:
Post a Comment