UP records 49.3% polling in by-elections; exit polls predict BJP to win maximum seats
An estimated 49.3% of the 34.35 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the by-elections for the nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
Amid incidents of violence across Kolkata in several polling booths, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that the All India Trinamul Congress does not support violence in any form.
Abhishek said, “ We want the election process to be free-and-fair. If there is any problem anywhere, I request the media to make the footage public and share it with the authorities. If the BJP does not have any agent in polling booths, it is their problem, not AITC’s.”
Commenting on the apparent incidents of violence, he said, “You must have seen how almost all BJP star campaigners stayed away from campaigning in the municipal polls since they know it is a lost cause. Any person, irrespective of their political affiliation, who disturbs the voting process, will be put behind bars.”
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On the allegations made by Opposition party candidates against TMC workers creating havoc, he said “We all know that Congress, BJP and CPI(M) are on the same page. We have seen what happened in Meghalaya where Congress MLAs extended their support to NPP. They are all different sides of the same coin. If it’s proven that any AITC worker is involved in incidents of violence, stern action will be taken against them within 24 hours.”
He however regretted what he termed as low polling percentage in the city and said as a resident of KMC area, he cast his vote today. “This is our right and we must exercise it with pride and wisdom. Home is where the heart is and my heart will always belong to Kolkata! This city has an exquisite charm, this city is an emotion. And the wave of development that people of this city witnessed in the past decade is phenomenal” said Banerjee.
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