Left Front has demanded re-polling in 800 booths in 17 constituencies that went to polls on Monday on the basis of reports received till 5 p.m.
However, the Left Front chairman, Biman Basu, has said that reportedly at least “1,500 booths were affected by large-scale violence” and the Front may demand re-polling in more booths after receiving the final reports from the districts. In a meeting convened on Monday evening, the Left parties decided to launch a demonstration in all the 17 constituencies from 11 a.m. for an hour on Tuesday. The Left coalition will again hold a demonstration between 4 and 5 pm, Mr. Basu said.
The Election Commission (EC) has failed to stop various forms of rigging, including fake voting and manhandling of polling agents of various political parties. While the high-profile observer of the election in the State, Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, toured the city, he failed to ensure “free and fair polling,” alleged Mr. Basu. “This is a bloodied election. After our complaints, Mr Rakesh toured a few places, but failed to act,” said the Left Front chairman. He gave a list of booths where the polling agents of the CPI (M) and other parties were removed and fake votes were cast. “In Jadavpur’s Bhangar area, 265 booths were captured (by Trinamool Congress supporters), which is 75 per cent of the total booths. Agents were not allowed to be present during the polling,” he said. Mr. Basu further gave a list of 493 booths where election process was disturbed allegedly by TMC supporters. “Thirty booths in Diamond Harbour, 110 in Joynagar, 25 in Mathurapur, 17 in Ghatal, and 76 in Keshpur in Paschim Medinipur are some of the booths where the election process was affected,” said Mr. Basu.
“As many as 140 booths in north Kolkata, 20 in south, 56 in Basirhat in north 24 Paragans district, and 45 in south 24 were captured to conduct false voting.” “But these are only a few of the total booths captured or the ones in which polling agents were not allowed to work,” he said. Many CPI (M) workers and a few reporters of the party organ were beaten up, he said.
“This election was conducted with machete, chopper, and guns. It has nothing to do with democracy,” Mr. Basu said.
