Bengal bypolls marred by violence, Karimpur BJP candidate thrashed

Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, seeking his intervention into the matter, accusing the TMC of "turning the election into farce in connivance with police and administration".

By: Express Web Desk

Kolkata, New Delhi | Updated: November 25, 2019 09:35 PM IST

4 min read

Joyprakash Majumdar being manhandled outside Karimpur booth on Monday. (Photo: Screengrab/ANI)

Around 75 per cent votes were polled at three Assembly seats — Karimpur, Kharagpur Sadar and Kaliaganj — in West Bengal bye-elections on Monday that was marred by violence. BJP alleged that its Karimpur candidate Joyprakash Majumdar was assaulted and thrashed allegedly by TMC workers. The Election Commission has sought a report on the incident.

TV footages showed Majumdar being manhandled and kicked allegedly by TMC workers as voting was underway in the constituency. Prakash alleged that he was heckled by TMC “goons” when he was entering a polling booth at Phipulkhola area of Nadia district.

“Wounds would heal but the incident was a clear sign of the end of democracy in West Bengal,” PTI quoted Majumdar as saying. Many TMC supporters shouted “go back” slogans at another booth Majumder visited during the day, prompting the police to resort to baton charge.

The BJP has sent a complaint with pictures of the attack to the Election Commission and demanded that both the SP and DM of Nadia district be removed and legal proceedings initiated against them for failing to maintain law and order in the area. Union Minister Babul Supriyo also condemned the act and sought an apology from the TMC.

“Our candidate Joyprakash Majumdar was attacked by Trinamool Congress workers. It is the murder of democracy under the chief ministership of Mamata Banerjee. The TMC has resorted to violence anticipating defeat in the polls,” senior BJP leader Mukul Roy said.

The BJP staged a road blockade in Girish Park area of central Kolkata to protest against the attack on Majumdar.

The letter written by BJP leader Mukul Roy to the election Commission

Nadia unit of TMC, however, termed the allegations against their workers “baseless” and said it was the angry locals of the area who had attacked Majumdar for “vitiating” the poll atmosphere. State minister and TMC leader Rajib Banerjee alleged the incident was pre-planned by the BJP “to gain sympathy on the day of polls”.

“The BJP very well knows that it is going to lose the polls. So they have staged a drama to gain sympathy. Those who don’t have any connection with the people resort to falsehood and drama. The BJP is doing just that in West Bengal,” TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.

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Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Kaliaganj constituency Kamal Chandra Sarkar was allegedly seen helping his wife cast her vote. The TMC has filed a complaint with the poll panel. The commission said the matter was being looked into.

Karimpur with 2.4 lakh electorate recorded 81.23 per cent votes till 5 pm, whereas Kharagpur Sadar and Kaliaganj recorded 67.62 per cent and 77.79 per cent votes with 2.69 lakh and 2.25 lakh voters respectively. More than seven lakh people exercised their franchise deciding the fate 18 candidates in the three constituencies.

Kharagpur Sadar and Karimpur seats had fallen vacant after their sitting MLAs contested and won Lok Sabha seats in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year. Kaliaganj needed a legislator to represent it following Congress MLA Parmathanath Roy’s death.

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