WB Panchayat poll: Electoral malpractices, violence on unabated

Kolkata: Electoral malpractices and violence continued unabated even on the day of counting of votes. In Nadia, a Trinamul Congress worker was caught on camera stamping the ballot papers rampantly at a counting centre. The incident took place at Majdia College, where the counting of votes in Krishnaganj Block was underway.

Later, it was learnt that the accused was a college student and was also seen threatening others. Sources revealed that a group of Trinamul workers stormed the centre after learning that an independent candidate, Niladri Sukul, who contested for the Shibnibas gram panchayat, was leading over the ruling party candidate during the counting.

Mr Sukul was assaulted before he was dragged out of the centre in presence of the police personnel. The poll personnel alleged that they also assaulted and stopped work in protest. Later, a clash took place outside the centre between the police and ruling party workers. Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee voiced his anguish over the incident. At Karimpur in the same district, a group of TMC workers allegedly stamped the ballots after the BJP made lead in Nandanpur gram panchayat seat. A calsh took place between the two parties’ workers. A bus was set on fire by them. None of the passengers were injured.

To tackle the situation, the police fired in the air. In other places also, BJP workers came under attack by the Trinamul activists.