Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a prominent Congress leader and candidate for the Berhampore assembly constituency, has claimed that a party polling agent was assaulted by individuals purportedly affiliated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) during the initial phase of voting in the West Bengal Assembly Elections on April 23. Chowdhury made these allegations while speaking to ANI on April 24, asserting that the incident transpired amidst the voting process.
The Congress leader accused members of the ruling TMC of orchestrating the attack on their polling agents. According to Chowdhury, these individuals, whom he referred to as “goons,” have connections to the government, and he expressed concern over their actions during the crucial voting period.
Attack On BJP Candidate’s Election Agent
In another incident on the same day, Debasis Ojha, a BJP candidate from the Labhpur Assembly constituency, reported that his election agent, Biswajit Mandal, was allegedly attacked by a mob. Mandal claimed that he was confronted by approximately 100 to 150 people. He further stated that he was forcibly removed from his vehicle and assaulted with sticks and stones, which resulted in a head injury.
According to Mandal, the chaos ensued after he arrived in response to reports of a land dispute in Ojha’s locality. He described the attack in detail, noting that the mob not only vandalised his vehicle but also inflicted injuries upon him. An accompanying BJP worker reportedly sustained injuries during the incident as well.
Mandal indicated that he attempted to alert the authorities and document the incident through video recording; however, he claimed there was a lack of response from the officials. Despite the circumstances, he managed to escape and received medical assistance arranged by the BJP.
High Voter Turnout Reported Across West Bengal
Amid these reports of violence, several districts in West Bengal noted voter turnout percentages exceeding 90 per cent during the assembly elections. Dakshin Dinajpur achieved the highest turnout at 94.85 per cent, followed closely by Cooch Behar at 94.54 per cent, Birbhum at 93.70 per cent, Jalpaiguri at 93.23 per cent, and Murshidabad at 92.93 per cent.
The high levels of voter participation across various districts demonstrate a persistent trend of engagement in the electoral process. For context, during the 2021 Assembly elections, the turnout was recorded at 85.2 per cent, indicating a notable increase in participation this election cycle.
On April 23, voting proceeded peacefully for 152 constituencies, with comprehensive security measures in place to foster a safe environment for voters. The subsequent voting for the remaining 142 constituencies is scheduled for May 29, while the vote counting will occur on May 4.