Poll snippets

In a written complaint to the EC,the CPM had stated that the comments were made on April 23. The complaint stated that Banerjee “spoke ill in general about Bhattacharjee” to the news channel “imputing inter alia that the CM drinks alcohol at the Nandan Film Complex and enjoys the company of a few ladies”. Banerjee could not be contacted for comment.

For Mamata,CPM rigs polls…
After the voting came to an end in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bengal on Thursday,Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee accused CPM of engaging in mass rigging in some areas. She alleged that the state administration backed the CPM cadres in rigging and demanded that the second and third phase of the polls be conducted under the vigil of central paramilitary forces.

“In places like West Midnapore,Purulia and Bankura,CPM cadres are engaged in rigging. In Keshpur,CPM cadres captured one booth after another. We demand a re-poll in Keshpur,” said Banerjee.

Meanwhile,the Election Commission was yet to decide whether or not to order repolling in the Keshpur Assembly segment. “We have received information of such complaints. Our micro observers and central observers were also there besides several video cameras. The reports are being collected and the commission will take a decision after studying the reports,” said Chief Electoral Officer Debashis Sen.

… for Left it is GJM
Meanwhile,CPM state secretary Biman Bose criticised the Election Commission and alleged that it had failed to conduct free and fair polls in Darjeeling. The party has asked for a detailed report from its district party workers on how the poll process was controlled by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha. Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh is contesting from Darjeeling with the support from GJM. “Once we get the report we will decide whether we will demand re-polling in the constituency,” said Bose. He alleged that polling agents of the party were not allowed in many booths and there was “one-sided polling”. He,however,sought to distinguish between the “unfair” polls in Darjeeling and Keshpur. Claiming that the election in Keshpur and Garbeta were held in a peaceful manner,Bose claimed “What has happened in Darjeeling cannot be compared with Garbeta and Keshpur where opposition polling agents were non-functional.”