Asansol and Ballygunge bypoll by and large peaceful

Kolkata, April 12 : Amid allegations of violence levelled by opposition parties against the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress, the polling for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat and Ballygunge assembly seat in West Bengal, where byelections are being held on Tuesday, has been by and large peaceful. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout was 55 per cent in Asansol and 35 per cent in Ballyugnge till 3 PM. BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malaviya said the West Bengal police is “doubling up as polling agent” for the Trinamool Congress, hours after BJP candidate in the Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll Agnimitra Paul alleged her convoy was attacked. BJP’s Asansol Lok Sabha seat candidate Agnimitra Paul alleged that her followers and security personnel were attacked at polling booth number 175 under Baraboni Assembly segment where she had gone to enquire about the purported absence of the presiding officer. Paul said her car was vandalised while her security personnel got beaten up with bamboos sticks by “Trinamool Congress-sponsored goons”. She alleged that the TMC workers also pelted stones at them in which her car was damaged. Paul also said the police were “trying to influence voting and disallowing her agents to enter polling booths”. “Such is the desperation and fear that movement of BJP leaders is being restricted on frivolous grounds, and the media is being denied access,” she said. “They (police) are attempting to influence voting, attacking us, not allowing media, nor are they letting polling agents sit. DM has ordered that the press won’t go with me… DM works for Mamata Banerjee,” Paul alleged “Our mandal president who was also the polling agent in booth no 182 in Jamuria was beaten up by TMC workers when he went out for lunch. This is the condition of West Bengal. If you sit at booth for BJP, you get beaten up like this, Paul said. BJP leader Arijit Roy was also attacked. However, the Trinamool Congress described the accusations as “baseless”. Election Commission (EC) asks for report as in Asansol media was stopped from moving freely to cover the bypoll. Regarding Ballygunge, the BJP alleged “massive rigging” in six booths in the Ripon Street area, while its candidate Keya Ghosh was seen angrily asking two policemen why they had entered a booth and not stationed themselves 100 metres outside it. On the other hand, the CPI(M) alleged unauthorised gatherings of TMC activists in various areas including Kishtia Road, Beniyapukur, Karaya and Beltala. The Marxist party also alleged false voting in two booths in Beniapukur area. Trinamool Congress Babul Supriyo alleged that BJP candidate Keya Gosh entered some polling booths on Monday night. “We approached the EC regarding that. I’ve been in touch with people on the ground. I suspect the CPM and BJP will hurl allegations that I’m trying to influence the voters,” he alleged. Earlier, polling began at 7 am on Tuesday for the by-election to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, necessitated after Babul Supriyo resigned as the MP after switching over to the TMC from the BJP. The TMC has fielded yesteryear actor Shatrughan Sinha from the constituency, who will face BJP’s Asansol Dakshin MLA Agnimitra Paul in the polls. Ballygunge assembly segment is also voting amid tight security arrangements. Altogether 680 of the total 2,012 booths in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district, and all the 300 booths in Ballygunge in south Kolkata have been identified as “sensitive”. BM-SJC-PC

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