A helpless Election Commission of India watched Bengal’s poll percentage drop by notches even as sporadic violence, bombing and booth-capturing marred the fifth phase of elections too with both the Opposition BJP and Left Front and the ruling Trinamool Congress accusing each other of “rampant rigging.”
Amid news of sporadic violence coming in from Bongaon, Howrah, Hooghly, Arambagh and Barrackpore the State witnessed 73.97 per cent polling till 5 pm, ECI sources said not expecting the overall poll percentage to cross 78-79 per cent mark a well 4-5 per cent short of the normal polling rate in an otherwise politically sensitive State.
Reports of violence and booth jamming came in from Barrackpore where the turncoat TMC strongman and former MLA Arjun Singh was fighting against former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi.
While a suave and composed Trivedi was seen playing cricket with children amid overseeing polling, Singh ran from booth to booth alleging massive rigging by TMC workers. He reportedly exchanged fisticuffs with police officials before complaining that “the police were helping the TMC rig elections. He fell down and injured himself while chasing away ‘outsiders’.
Bombs were hurled at Himli Saolapara in Gaighata Assembly segment of Bongaon parliamentary constituency where one TMC supporter received head injuries. Later the CAPF resorted to massive lathi-charge.
At Howrah outgoing TMC MP and former India footballer Prasun Banerjee was physically assaulted allegedly by the BJP supporters and the central forces when he “went to a booth to check rigging.”
Sporadic violence was reported from parts of Hooghly constituency where BJP’s Locket Chatterjee said “90 percent polling was rigged in Dhaniakhali Assembly segment,” demanding repolling. A BJP supporter accompanying Chatterjee allegedly smashed an EVM alleging rampant rigging. Reports of violence also came in from Chandannagar in Hooghly, Arambagh, Bhatpara in Barrackpore.
At Arambagh CPI(M) polling agents were literally kicked out of the polling booths by armed TMC goons they alleged adding “all the while the CAPF jawans looked the other way.
However, Special Police Observer Vivek Dubey said the poling was by and large peaceful.