KOLKATA: Alleged TMC goons attacked the BJP and CPM workers during the byelections in the Chowringhee and Basirhat Dakshin Assembly constituencies on Saturday, but the presence of paramilitary forces ensured free and fair polls.
While around 50 per cent votes were polled in Chowringhee, which witnessed incidents of violence, Basirhat Dakshin recorded 76 per cent polling as a large number of voters turned up despite alleged intimidation by the TMC workers.
The TMC workers allegedly attacked BJP candidate from Chowringhee, Ritesh Tewari and smashed the party’s camp office booths. The TMC has also been accused of hitting a CPM worker on his head with a revolver butt and assaulting two women workers of the party.
In Basirhat Dakshin, TMC workers allegedly threatened voters and destroyed two BJP camp offices.
BJP nominee from Basirhat Dakshin Shamik Bhattacharya was upbeat on his chances of victory. “A large number of people turned out to vote against the ‘TMC-Saradha’ Government despite being terrorised since last (Friday) night,” he said.
State BJP chief Rahul Sinha felt that the presence of paramilitary forces and constant monitoring by the Election Commission ensured that the Trinamool Congress “could not rig the polls”.
State Industries Minister and TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee claimed his party was confident of winning the elections “despite canard and propaganda against the TMC”.
UP By-elections
About 50 per cent of the UP electorate on Saturday exercised their franchise in the bypolls to 11 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat by 5 pm. Around 53.2 per cent votes were polled in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat where Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his MP wife Dimple Yadav cast their votes, while 49.78 per cent votes were polled in 11 Assembly seats, an official statement issued here said.
Among the Assembly constituencies, Thakurdwara in Moradabad and Nighasan in Lakhimpur witnessed brisk polling with 65 and 60 per cent turn out respectively, but it was tardy in Noida where only 31 per cent votes were polled followed by 32 per cent for Lucknow east seat.