The chairman of the South Dinajpur district Trinamul Congress, Biplab Mitra, and Rajya Sabha member Arpita Ghosh today said that they suspect that the central forces deployed for the elections in the state have been working in favour of the BJP and that the entire election process could be a farce.

Addressing reporters here today, the TMC leaders said they have started meeting booth-level leaders and have instructed them on how to face the challenge. BJP leaders, on the other hand, criticised the TMC leaders and their activities.

It is learnt that TMC leaders, including Mr Mitra, Ms Ghosh, poll candidate for the Tapan seas Kalpana Kisku, and other senior leaders held a meeting with booth-level leaders of the Tapan Assembly area in Balurghat today.

“They discussed the situation that has come up after two phases of the elections. The leaders will meet all leaders of the district,” a party source said. There are 64 panchayats, and 50 of them are dominated by the TMC and 10 by the BJP, even though the TMC had won all the panchayat samity and Zilla Parishad seats.

The BJP has strengthened the party organisation in the district after the last parliamentary elections, while both the TMC and the BJP have been claiming that they would win all the six Assembly seats in the district.

“After the second phase of the elections, BJP leaders are claiming that they have won a majority of the seats. This is a day dream. Central forces and central agencies are being used to capture power in Bengal. We are worried about the activity of the central forces. They are working in favour of the BJP,” Mr Mitra said.

“We have talked with our leaders and we are confident that the people of the district will vote for us, and the TMC will win all the seats in the district,” he added.

On the other hand, BJP leader Bapi Sarkar said: “TMC leaders have understood that they will be defeated in the state as well as in South Dinajpur as they are not able to manipulate or rig the votes. As such, they are trying to blame the central forces. On 2 nd April everything will be clear. The TMC leaders only wait and see” said the general secretary of BJP Mr Bapi Sarkar.