West Bengal elections: This time, Bidhannagar votes without fear

At the Congress camp office in Karunamoyee Housing Estate at E D Block in Salt Lake — the office was allegedly razed to ground by ruling Trinamool Congress cadres during last year’s civic polls — poll agent Mala Mukherjee was on her way to relieve another from duty.

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“Last time, hot tea was splashed on me… I was dragged by my hair and abused. We couldn’t stand near the booth and faced great difficulty casting my vote. This time, it has been a lot peaceful,” Mukherjee said.

Though her husband discouraged her to come for poll duty this time, Mukherjee said she was determined to fight back. “When we arrived here at 5.30 am today, we did not know it would be so secured… with the help of the central forces,” she added.

Ninety-year-old Indra Bhushan Mukherjee, a resident of AB Block, said: “I am a voter at the booth at Abasik Sangha at
AC Block. I live in the vicinity and had witnessed last year’s violence from my home. A large number of outsiders who had come and rigged the poll process, preventing many from voting. I also had a tough time casting my vote.”

“Last time, I had come at 7 am to vote… This time I came in the afternoon. The presence of central armed forces has been reassuring,” he added.

BD Block had seen several bombs being hurled on October 3, last year. Debashish Ghosh, who had seen a bomb being hurled from near the booth where he had stood, said Monday’s polling had come as a pleasant surprise.

“I have not seen this kind of peaceful voting in Salt Lake ever,” he said as he walked out of the booth with his wife and daughter. “Jawans of central forces had been frisking vehicles at the entry points of Salt Lake… This had ensured a lot of security…,” he added.

His daughter Esha, a first-time voter, said: “After the last civic polls, I was a bit apprehensive… but thanks to the security measures taken, there was no trouble.”

Trinamool MLA and a resident of Bidhannagar, Sujit Bose, too admitted that Monday’s polling was in sharp contrast to last year’s civic elections. “There were 2-4 incidents of violence in the last civic polls… we had condemned those… But this time, the polling was very peaceful,” Bose said as he went around his constituency.

He, however, quickly added: “The jawans of central forces are over-active. It seems that there is a curfew-like situation prevailing due to the way they are behaving.”

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