Violence, allegations of bias mar West Bengal poll

Kolkata: Images showing violence, booth capturing and ineffectiveness of the central government’s security forces were splashed across the media in the third round of voting in West Bengal.

Allegations of biased poll officials allowing Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres to virtually take over polling stations have become a major flash point between the state Election Commission (EC) officials and opposition parties, who accuse the poll authroty of not being able to effectively handle the rowdy elements within the party that has dominated the state’s politics for years.

“The election commission did a splendid job both in the 2009 parliamentary elections and 2004 state assembly elections. Though we lost, no one could complain about the free and fair elections. But this time, booth capturing and intimidation of voters by TMC is rampant, especially in the third phase, due to over-dependence of the poll panel on state officials,” the BJP’s Tathagata Roy said.

Congress candidate Abdul Mannan, who staged a sit-in demonstration on Wednesday, said many voters were threatened and local TMC leaders were actually pressing the buttons on behalf of voters.

“West Bengal is back to the age when voting was a façade for party rule. TMC is just following the path CPM had shown them,” said Mannan.

Before the elections, the EC had a major row with chief minister Mamata Banerjee over the transfer of certain officials. She had publicly stated that all officials that were being transferred by the EC would be reinstated to their original positions after election results were released.

Her statement was seen as designed to intimidate state government workers assigned to the polls.

“The ruling party has categorically stated that working against it would result in punishment, whereas prizes like plum postings and promotions would be on offer if they side with them. Hence no fairness from state bureaucrats can be expected,” CPM leader Sujon Chakraborty said.

“TMC is afraid of facing the people and hence they are keen to shut any voice of dissent,” Chakraborty added.

West Bengal has the highest incidents of political violence in the country. So far three people have died, while 576 were injured, in 653 incidents of poll-related violence in the state.

The EC admitted fault lines while declaring the poll schedule. States like Tamil Nadu, with 39 parliamentary seats, voted in one phase, but West Bengal with 42 seats is going through a five-phase poll.

“If EC could realise this at the beginning, then they should have done more to stop what is happening in the state. We urge them to take steps to ensure free and fair polling in the remaining two phases in the state,” said a state Congress leader.

TMC leaders though denied the charges sighting them as alibi for the opposition to declare defeat even before counting.

“They know they will lose hence they are making such baseless allegations,” said TMC general secretary Mukul Roy.

However, Roy refused to answer when questioned that the same charges of rigging were made by Banerjee herself election after election when she was the leader of the opposition.