Opposition BJP on Monday alleged that the TMC resorted to silent rigging in the Mahestala bypoll where the ruling party-backed goons had terrorised voters few days before the polls, rendering the presence of the Central forces into a mock-show.

Alleging that Maheshtala election wasn’t free and fair, BJP’s national secretary Rahul Sinha said: “Last night TMC-backed goons threatened voters at their door steps. BJP agents were made to leave from several booths. Hiding in Maheshtala for long, TMC-backed miscreants have been threatening voters and Opposition members throughout the elections”.

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A complaint was lodged in this regard with the CEO office but no step was taken, he added. “Though the state government this time did not manage the Mahestala bypoll like it did during the panchayat polls, it’s administration has tried everything possible to affect the poll process. Earlier, OC, Mahestala, behaved rudely with Opposition party leaders and supporters and kept silent over TMC’s malpractices at the locality,” he said.

TMC’s silent attack on voters has turned Mahastala almost into a crematorium ground. Senior CPI-M leader Rabin Deb said party agents were not allowed to enter at least 22-23 booths. TMC, along with BJP, made ‘silent threats’ to turn elections in their favour, like in the last panchayat elections, even if there was no open violence.

“Though there was the presence of a Central observer, the present situation in the state is not worthy of any kind of election. The past few polls proved so,” said Deb. The TMC is continuing with the silent terror tactics, he added.

“Not much can be done to improve the situation as the DG himself is trying to hide the number of murders that took place during the panchayat elections. A married couple was set on fire. It is being said they got burnt because of short-circuiting when there was no electricity connection in their house,” he alleged.

Opposition leader in the state Assembly Abdul Mannan said on Monday while no untoward incident occurred on the polling day of Mahestala by-election, “we have come to know that some voters were intimidated to vote for the ruling party the night before the elections”.

The presence of Central para-military forces made all the difference between the day’s by-election and rural polls, Mannan said.

The absence of ruling party activists near the polling booths was one of the major points of difference between the by-election and the rural polls in which violence was the order of the day, he said. The foundation of Opposition unity for next year’s parliamentary elections is being laid, Mannan observed.