The 12-hour statewide bandh called by the BJP against alleged rigging and violence in the elections in 108 municipalities evoked mixed reactions today as saffron workers clashed with the police in various parts of the state today.
Transportation was normal and most of the commercial establishments remained open in South Bengal even as BJP workers staged blockades of railway tracks and roads in some areas. BJP state president and MP Sukanta Majumder claimed that the bandh was total successful and people across Bengal responded to the state.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar met state election commissioner, Sourav Das and is said to have taken a report on what he said was “alarmingly disturbing inputs, depicting scenario of violence and lawlessness” during yesterday’s election to the municipalities.
He said that the inability of the state election commission to hold elections to Howrah Municipal Corporation was a failure of constitutional duty. Later the poll panel announced re-elections in two booths in ward 33 of South Dum Dum municipality and ward 25 of Sreerampore municipality. The re-poll will be held on Tuesday and counting would be held on March 2. Polls were held in more than 10,800 booths.
In Kolkata, BJP activists clashed with the police, as a result of which the police resorted to the use of force to disperse the mob. BJP leader Sajal Ghosh was detained. “Thousands of our party workers and leaders took the streets and protested in the city against widespread violence in the civic poll yesterday. In Bowbazar, our woman councillor Meenadevi Purohit was dragged to the police car while she and several others protesting yesterday’s violence.
In Bidhannagar our leader Kalyan Choubey took the street leading few hundreds supporters to protest against yesterday’s rigging and booth capturing,” said Mr Majumdar. BJP MLAs Shankar Ghosh and Anandamoy Burman were detained by the police while taking out a rally in support of the shutdown, said Mr Majumdar.
In Balurghat area in South Dinajpur district, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar led a rally in support of today’s strike call. When the police tried to stop it, a clash broke out leading to the arrests of several BJP workers. Mr Majumdar also today condemned the State Election Commission’s decision for re-polling in only two booths tomorrow.
The Left Front chairman Biman Bose said a delegation from the party will submit a deputation to the SEC and will demand repolling in wards where he alleged votes were looted, electronic voting machines were vandalised and voters were intimidated by the ruling party cadres. He said the agitation will continue in front of the SEC office till the election body ensures justice is delivered.
Trains services were disrupted for a short while at a few places in the city and suburbs as supporters of the 12-hour strike staged a protest on the railway tracks. Commuters at Ultadanga station were stranded for a while after the bandh supporters allegedly burnt tyres on the tracks and staged a sit-in demonstration resulting in rail blockade for a few minutes. The local trains services from the station were resumed after the crowd of agitators was later dispersed by the police.
Commuters at Shyamnagar station faced similar difficulties after the strike supporters staged a rail blockade by obstructing the tracks. Services at this station also were briefly disrupted when a crowd of bandh supporters gathered at the tracks with flags chanting slogans. A group of protestors also gathered near Howrah Bridge trying to disrupt the traffic at the crucial entrance to the city. Likewise, another group of supporters tried to block Howrah-Amta Road near Dasnagar.
According to the Eastern Railway, the disruptions, however, were for a very short while and there was no significant negative impact on the train services. The CPIM today staged a protest outside the State Election Commission office, protesting against alleged violence during yesterday’s civic polls to 108 civic bodies.