Bengal repoll: 87 pc turnout till 5 pm; TMC, BJP supporters clash in Falta

Amid clashes between TMC and BJP supporters, around 87 per cent turnout was recorded till 5 pm in the repoll in 15 booths of two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district on Saturday (May 2).

Voting was held at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered a repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.

The clashes broke out after locals in Falta area alleged that TMC leaders were threatening them. "Trinamool's Israfil Chowkidar has threatened us that if these people win, they will burn our houses and carry out bloodshed," a woman voter told news agency ANI.

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Hundreds of villagers staged a protest, demanding safety after the counting of votes. The protesters, many of them women and holding BJP flags, blocked the road in Hasimnagar village, alleging that Israfil, a close associate of TMC candidate Jehangir Khan, issued them threats of attacks after poll results are announced.

CRPF forces reassure protesters

The CRPF deputy commandant visited the area with a large force and assured the demonstrators of ensuring their safety.

Khan dismissed the allegations and said the women were “deployed” by the BJP to stage the demonstration and engineer the arrest of TMC functionaries in the area before the counting to “harm the morale of the TMC supporters”.

“If the charges are proved, I am ready to face the law,” he said.

Fatima Bibi, one of the protesters belonging to the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, claimed Israfil and his men “have been visiting the area since April 30 and threatening us that there would be bloodshed from May 5. We demand CRPF remain in the area”. Votes will be counted on May 4.

The CRPF official said, “We are here to instil confidence among the people with support of the local police. We have assured them of full security.” An Election Commission official said a report has been sought about the protests from the district administration.

EC deploys more observers

Ahead of the counting of votes on Monday (May 4), the Election Commission (EC) has deployed an additional 165 counting observers and 77 police observers in the state.

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While the additional counting observers will assist the 294 such observers already deployed per constituency, the additional police observers will strengthen security and oversee law-and-order arrangements outside the counting centres, the poll body said.

Officials said that while police observers are generally not deployed during vote counting, in this case, they will not be allowed to enter the counting centres, and will manage law and order outside only.

“The additional counting observers and police observers have been deployed to ensure that the counting proceedings are conducted in a secure, peaceful, intimidation-free and transparent environment,” the EC said.

Extra deployment after SC rejects TMC plea

The EC asserted that it appointed the additional observers in exercise of its constitutional powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and provisions of the Representation of the People Act.

The observers will function under the poll body’s superintendence and control, the EC noted.

The additional counting observers will assist the existing counting observers for 165 Assembly constituencies having more than one counting hall.

The police observers will oversee the security and law and order arrangements around the counting centres assigned to them and ensure that the arrangements follow the EC’s instructions.

Also read: EC can choose counting personnel, no further order: SC on TMC plea

No person, except the counting observer and the returning officer, is permitted to carry a mobile phone inside the counting hall, the EC said.

The additional deployment followed after the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court rejected a Trinamool Congress plea against an EC decision to use Central government employees for vote counting, upholding the poll body’s authority to select staff and ensuring that the process proceeds with Central staff on counting day.

5 pm turnout

Voting began for the two constituencies at 7 am and continued till 6 pm. Till 5 pm, the turnout was 86.90 per cent.

Magrahat Paschim registered 86.11 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 87.60 per cent, according to EC data.

“We have an adequate number of central forces in the two constituencies. Webcasting is also being conducted, and we are monitoring the proceedings,” an EC official told PTI earlier in the day.

Voting in these two Assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.

Repoll order

The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the EC official told PTI.

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In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.

TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.

Malpractice allegations

The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.

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The EC will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.

The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases, on April 23 and April 29, amid unprecedented security arrangements.

(With agency inputs)