West Bengal: Amid elections, by-poll held in Sagardighi
A by-election in the Assembly constituency, where the TMC won for three straight terms since 2011, was necessitated after three-time MLA and state minister passed away in December, last year.
Published: 27th February 2023 07:53 PM | Last Updated: 27th February 2023 07:53 PM | A+A A-
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KOLKATA: Though no incident of violence was reported in Sagardighi by-election in Murshidabad on Monday, both the Congress and the BJP alleged the ruling Trinamool Congress supporters tried to influence voters in many places by violating the election commission’s strict restriction on no assembly within the 200 metres of polling booths.
A by-election in the Assembly constituency, where the TMC won for three straight terms since 2011, was necessitated after three-time MLA and state minister passed away in December, last year.
TMC activists also accused BJP candidate Dilip Biswas of using central force to violate norms. Debasish Banerjee alleged he was stopped by the central force personnel when he was entering a polling booth. Banerjee was however allowed to enter the booth after the presiding officer intervened.
The Assembly constituency recorded 73.49 per cent polling till 5 pm.
Flooded by the complaints of unauthorised assembly near polling premises, the election commission issued a fresh instruction to the district administration to follow the restriction strictly.
Bairun Biswas, the candidate of Congress-Left Front alliance, alleged highhandedness by TMC men. "They were sitting near polling booths with models of EVMs and showing it to the voters asking them press the button of their party. Our supporters tried to stop them but they forced our workers to leave the place. Police, too, stood mute spectators," he alleged.
