Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and candidate from the Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency, has made serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She claimed that the BJP is instructing Central Forces to carry out acts of violence and intimidation throughout the state during the ongoing Assembly elections. Banerjee stated that the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is evident in these actions.

In her remarks, Banerjee highlighted incidents of violence that reportedly occurred overnight, suggesting that these were part of a larger strategy orchestrated from higher authorities. She mentioned instances of coercion and alleged that interference from the central leadership was evident in various polling areas, including Malda.

Incident of Violence Reported

During her address, Banerjee described a disturbing event involving an elderly man from a minority community, who was allegedly assaulted and removed from the polling booth for wearing traditional attire. She expressed her concerns regarding the treatment of voters, especially the vulnerable members of the community. “A man from a minority community, an elderly man, was slapped and thrown out just because he was wearing a lungi,” she stated, illustrating the tension that characterised the election environment.

Moreover, she expressed discontent regarding the overall voting process in Bhabanipur, asserting that there were deliberate efforts to slow down the voting proceedings to instil fear among the electorate. “Voting was made very slow in Bhabanipur. Slow voting everywhere, just to create a deterrent,” she remarked, implying that such tactics were used to suppress voter turnout.

Concerns Over Election Integrity

Banerjee further raised alarms about the role of security personnel in the elections, suggesting that their presence was being misused to obstruct transparency. She stated that approximately 200 Central Force personnel were stationed in front of each polling booth, which she claimed hindered the voting process rather than facilitating it. “Actually, there is no real voting happening. They are using the central force to block all the cameras,” she alleged, signalling a significant concern regarding the integrity of the electoral process.

Additionally, Banerjee alleged that there were agents of the BJP positioned within the polling booths, aiming to manipulate the voting outcome. “Agents are being placed depending entirely on the central force,” she stated, further underscoring her assertion that the BJP was strategically utilising security forces to gain an unfair advantage during the elections.

The accusations came as West Bengal marked the final day of polling at 6 PM, reporting a voter turnout of approximately 90% before the closing hour. The first phase of the elections had taken place on April 23, with the primary contest being between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP. The results for these elections, along with those from Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, are scheduled to be announced on May 4.

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