The last phase of the Lok Sabha polls saw large-scale violence across West Bengal with BJP candidate in Jadavpur allegedly being attacked and his car vandalised. BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate Anupam Hazra alleged that the Trinamool Congress was using its women workers to cast proxy votes.
“TMC goons have beaten up a BJP mandal president, a driver and attacked a car. We also rescued our three polling agents. TMC goons were going to carry out rigging at 52 booths. People are eager to vote for BJP but they are not allowing people to vote,” Hazra was quoted by news agency ANI.
He added, “At polling booth number 150/137 in Jadavpur, women TMC workers with covered faces are casting proxy votes. It is difficult to establish their identity. When we raised objection to it, they created a ruckus at the polling station.”
Elsewhere, in Diamond Harbour, BJP Nilanjan Roy alleged that his car was vandalised too.
West Bengal: BJP candidate for Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, Nilanjan Roy’s car vandalised in Dongaria area of the constituency. pic.twitter.com/Ag09xHu5hZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2019
Some BJP supporters took to Twitter to allege that constituencies in both north and south Kolkata witnessed violence with saffron party workers accusing the Trinamool Congress of intimidation.
After Bashirat where Voters not allowed to vote and
women TMC workers casting proxy votes with covered faces in JadhavpurNow Journalists being attacked in South Kolkata,
Complete mockery of democracy in West Bengal @MamataOfficial #Phase7 #VotingRound7 #JeetegaToModiHi pic.twitter.com/PdvmSd16vu
— Chowkidar Geetika Swami (@SwamiGeetika) May 19, 2019
BJP had also alleged that several people were denied their right to vote on Sunday morning in Bashirhat. In the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls, voting is taking place today in nine seats including Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat in North 24 Parganas and Diamond Harbour. The counting will start on 23 May.
Accordint o NDTV, in Bhatpara, where Trinamool’s former minister Madan Mitra is contesting against the BJP’s Pawan Kumar Singh, the son of former Trinamul lawmaker Arjun Singh in by-polls for the state assembly, crude bombs were hurled by rival groups.