Kolkata, April 12 (FN Agency) Amid allegations of violence levelled by opposition parties against the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress, low to moderate polling was seen in the first four hours in the Asansol Lok Sabha and Balygunge Assembly by-elections in West Bengal on Tuesday. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout was 27 per cent in Asansol and 16 per cent in Ballyugnge till 11 AM. BJP’s Asansol Lok Sabha seat candidate Agnimitra Paul alleged that her followers and security personnel were attacked at polling booth number 175 under Baraboni Assembly segment where she had gone to enquire about the purported absence of the presiding officer. She said her car was vandalised while her security personnel got beaten up with bamboos sticks by “Trinamool Congress-sponsored goons”. BJP leader Arijit Roy was also attacked.
However, the Trinamool Congress described the accusations as “baseless”. Paul alleged that the TMC workers also pelted stones at them in which her car was damaged. “No matter how hard (West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo) Mamata Banerjee tries, BJP is winning here. “The TMC people attacked us, and local police did nothing,” Paul alleged, adding that her polling agent at booth No 241 was not allowed. The TMC alleged that the BJP candidate was moving with a convoy of 20 cars and had entered the polling booth with central forces and asked people to vote for her party, which led to a ruckus. Paul also entered booth no 42 with her security personnel, a TMC leader alleged. There were reports of state police personnel preventing mediapersons from entering booth number 175 in Baraboni, despite possessing Election Commission media passes.
As the mediapersons protested, Paul took the matter to the Election Commission of India, and the poll panel intervened. After about 20 minutes, senior officials came and allowed the media persons to proceed to the polling booth. Paul later alleged that the media was denied entry into the polling booth following “instructions” from the CM. Regarding Ballygunge, the BJP alleged “massive rigging” in six booths in the Ripon Street area, while its candidate Keya Ghosh was seen angrily asking two policemen why they had entered a booth and not stationed themselves 100 metres outside it. On the other hand, the CPI-M alleged unauthorised gatherings of TMC activists in various areas including Kishtia Road, Beniyapukur, Karaya and Beltala. The Marxist party also alleged false voting in two booths in Beniapukur area.