Alleging irregularities in the polling process in Nandigram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she will approach the courts over the issue.
Ms. Banerjee, who is a candidate from Nandigram, reached a polling booth at Boyal in the Assembly segment, where allegations were made that her party polling agent was not allowed inside the booth.
“I have come here to prove that 80% of the votes have been rigged here. Since morning, about 63 complaints have been made but not a single action has been taken,” Ms. Banerjee told journalists at the polling booth.
‘Outsiders creating trouble’
The Chief Minister said that outsiders were trying to create trouble and the Central forces were protecting them under instructions from the Home Ministry. She also urged Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to ensure a free and fair poll.
While the Chief Minister sat inside a polling booth at Boyal Primary School for almost an hour, supporters of both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP came face to face with each other outside. The police and security personnel guarded the primary school by forming a human chain.
Passions ran high among the supporters of both the TMC and the BJP, who raised slogans against each other. The security personnel did their best to prevent clashes.
“The voting started in the morning and the candidate is coming out now. You can understand the situation,” BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari said.
Mr. Adhikari, who lauded the efforts of Central forces and Election Commission, said 70 % of polling was over.
Nandigram went to the polls with 29 other Assembly constituencies in the second phase on Thursday.
