Violence In Sandeshkhali and Bhangar Amid Polling In Bengal; BJP Alleges TMC Using Police To ‘Intimidate’ Voters

Amid polling in nine Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal during the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha Election on Saturday, reports of poll-related violence and tension surfaced from several pockets, including Sandeshkhali and Bhangar.

The violence reportedly started late Friday night and continued till the polling process began on Saturday. Sandeshkhali under Basirhat Lok Sabha and Bhangar under Jadavpur Lok Sabha were the epicentres of the tension.

In Sandeshkhali, tension started mounting late Friday night after a group of local women came out on the streets carrying bamboo sticks protesting against the alleged threats to their family members by local Trinamool Congress activists accompanied by the state police.

The women also alleged that the local goons who were behind such threats were close associates of now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is currently behind bars.

The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and BJP Information Technology cell chief Amit Malviya shared the videos of the protesting women at Sandeshkhali.

Malviya said the West Bengal police, on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instruction, police ran a ‘midnight operation’ to intimidate voters of Sandeshkhali.

“In a midnight operation, WB Police, on the instructions of Mamata Banerjee, is going door to door in Bermajur, which is in #Sandeshkhali, and intimidating BJP booth agents. Women are being threatened and abused. Their voter cards are being snatched and they are being told not to sit in the booths tomorrow. Power has been shut in the entire area. Local TMC goons are guiding the police. There is no woman cop accompanying them, as should have been the case, if this was a legitimate exercise. Mamata Banerjee will pay for her sins. But for now we are ensuring protection for our karyakartas,” Malviya said in a post on X.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also claimed police personnel and civic volunteers in plain clothes are roaming around in different areas of the island to threaten voters, especially women.

“Mamata Banerjee’s last ditch desperate attempt to suppress Sandeshkhali before Election. “Chappal wearing” Police personnel & Civic Volunteers in plain clothes are roaming around in different areas of Sandeshkhali in order to intimidate and threaten Voters, especially women. However they were confronted by the brave Ladies of Sandeshkhali in the Booth nos 153 & 154; Bermojur 2 area of the Sandeshkhali Assembly Constituency. The Voters of the Basirhat Parliamentary Constituency will Vote tomorrow (technically today). Police is trying their level best to favour the ruling party,” he posted in X.

However, the state police denied the allegations and said that the tension flared up after some local BJP supporters had beaten up a couple of civic volunteers at Sandeshkhali.

Similarly, tension broke out in front of a polling booth at Bhangar since the beginning of the polling process at 7 a.m. on Saturday following clashes between Trinamool Congress and All India Secular Front (AISF) activists.

A woman AISF activist received head injuries following the clashes. Earlier, the vehicle of the AISF candidate Nur Alam Khan was also vandalized allegedly by a group of Trinamool Congress activists.

BJP claimed that bombs were hurled in Bhangar, where villagers “threw an EVM and VVPAT machine in a pond because TMC goons won’t let them vote”.

“Democracy is up in flames in West Bengal. Bombs have been hurled in Jadavpur’s Bhangar, irate villagers in Joynagar’s Kultali have thrown an EVM and VVPAT machine in a pond because TMC goons won’t let them vote…

But the worse affected is Diamond Harbour, where Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and heir apparent is contesting from. BJP workers are being intimidated, not allowed to sit in the booths, their polling documents Ana ched and destroyed… WB Police is acting like Abhishek Banerjee’s henchmen. Even the Muslims have not been spared because a large number of them are voting for CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahman. TMC’s ‘secularism’ dies the moment Muslims start voting against it,” Amit Malviya posted on X.

The nine Lok Sabha constituencies where polls are being conducted on Saturday are Kolkata-Dakshin and Kolkata-Uttar in Kolkata, Jadavpur, Jaynagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas and Basirhat, Barasat, and Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas.

The minority-dominated Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, and specifically the Sandeshkhali segment, is a microcosm of the broader electoral battle as it garnered national attention due to allegations of atrocities on women and land grabs by local TMC leaders.

Sandeshkhali had shot into the limelight on January 5 when and Enforcement Department team was attacked there when it had gone to raid the premises of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with an alleged ration scam.

The BJP has capitalised on these issues by nominating Rekha Patra, a prominent local protestor, against TMC veteran Haji Nurul Islam.

The CPI (M) has fielded former MLA Nirapada Sardar, making this a three-cornered contest.

(With IANS Inputs)

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