Kolkata, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : Voting for the by-elections in the Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies of West Bengal concluded on Tuesday at 6 PM. Throughout the day, reports of sporadic tensions, voter intimidation, and electoral fraud emerged from both districts.
According to a source from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, the average voter turnout by 5 PM was 78.90%. Rejinagar recorded 78.42%, while Nandigram saw a turnout of 79.39%. Some polling stations continued to serve voters even after 6 PM, as lines remained. Therefore, the final voter turnout figures will likely be confirmed later on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but it is expected to exceed 80%.
By the end of the day, both the Congress party and the All India Trinamool Congress, led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, called for a complete re-polling at several polling stations in both constituencies.
In contrast, the state BJP leadership dismissed these allegations, claiming that the voting process was festive and smooth in both areas.
One of the most significant incidents occurred during the first hour of voting when Humayun Kabir, founder and MLA of the United Party (AJAYUP), was arrested for allegedly attempting to influence voters, intimidating police, and even grabbing the collar of an on-duty officer.
BJP candidates Hasirani Rath from Nandigram and Bhakarav Sarkar from Rejinagar expressed confidence in their comfortable victories in their respective constituencies.
However, former state Congress president and five-time Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that the Congress candidate in Rejinagar had a strong chance of winning. He alleged that supporters of the ruling BJP conducted extensive electoral activities in Rejinagar with police assistance.
Leave a Comment