The Opposition parties alleged that repoll was also turned into a farce with ruling party cadres terrorising voters for preventing them from voting. They also alleged that the repolling was ordered only in booths where Trinamul Congress (TMC) could not do well while it was not allowed where ruling party looted booths.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said that miscreants dominated the panchayat poll day that was held on Monday and same thing has been repeated today as armed miscreants terrorised voters and no policeman was found to protect the people, who formed queue to cast their votes. This is not election but a farce, said Mr Ghosh.
He alleged that several persons were not allowed to exercise their franchise and they could not cast their vote anymore for this panchayat polls as there will be no further repoll. “People were deprived of their democratic rights,” he said. Mr Ghosh also alleged that the miscreants surrounded the BDO offices, where counting will be held on Thursday.
“We are apprehending that counting will also be a farce on Thursday. Moreover, counting agents could be attacked by the miscreants as police will stand as mute spectators and obey the orders of the state administrative headquarters, Nabanna. State election commissioner became a puppet of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, so poll results will be manipulated,” he said.
CPI-M politburo member and MP Mohammed Salim said that counting officials are apprehending attacks and also put up roadblocks in several places demanding security.
“SEC did not order repolling where incidents of booth capturing and rigging took place. Repoll was held where TMC did not manage to manipulate the polls,” he said.
Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) has urged the chief minister to interfere directly to stop the post poll violence and has requested the SEC to provide proper and necessary security for the counting agents of the Opposition parties to ensure their safety and fair counting of the votes.
Party’s state secretary Soumen Basu said that the security system during the polling was biased and with its help, the ruling party had captured several booths and managed to shoo away the voters and cast fake votes.
“TMC did not stop there. To further ensure their victory in the panchayat election, they are taking all possible measures to take control over the vote counting centres. The counting agents of the Opposition parties are being stopped from going to the centres and are receiving threats,” he said.