BJP alleges pretend votes by TMC as paperwork discovered at social gathering workplaces
Kolkata: A couple of hundred Aadhaar playing cards, voters’ picture identification playing cards and Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Assure (MNREG) Scheme job playing cards had been recovered from a number of Trinamool Congress workplaces in West Bengal on Sunday by native residents and Bharatiya Janata Get together staff who alleged that these had been forcefully taken from voters earlier than earlier elections.
Real voters had been pressured to remain residence on election days, they alleged.
In one of many incidents, greater than 100 Aadhaar playing cards had been discovered at a TMC workplace at Basanti Debi Colony within the Bidhan Nagar meeting constituency. Plenty of these playing cards had been issued in 2021, when the TMC received 213 of the 294 seats in Bengal towards the BJP’s 77.
“Many of the playing cards had been nonetheless in sealed postal envelopes, indicating they weren’t delivered to the recipients. Native individuals additionally discovered some land deeds locked in a briefcase,” a Bidhan Nagar police officer mentioned, requesting anonymity.
Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee, an oncologist and newly-elected BJP legislator from Bidhan Nagar mentioned: “Real voters had been threatened and stopped from exercising their proper to franchise. We repeatedly mentioned this throughout our marketing campaign. Our place is vindicated immediately.”
Former hearth companies minister Sujit Bose, who received the Bidhan Nagar seat 4 instances in a row since 2009 earlier than being defeated, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Might 11 on expenses of corruption in civic physique recruitments and remanded within the federal company’s custody.
Chameli Naskar, the TMC councillor from the world the place the social gathering workplace is situated, claimed she knew nothing concerning the Aadhaar playing cards.
“The allegation is made up. I don’t suppose our social gathering can stoop to such stage. Let there be an investigation,” Naskar mentioned.
In a second incident, a number of hundred voter ID playing cards had been discovered mendacity in a discipline within the Kirnahar space of Birbhum district, a TMC bastion for 15 years.
“Native individuals knowledgeable the authorities and the playing cards had been seized,” a police officer mentioned.
BJP state vice-president Jagannath Chattopadhyay, who received Birbhum’s Siuri seat, mentioned, “There should be 1000’s of such playing cards mendacity in TMC workplaces throughout the district. TMC established a reign of terror however the tables have turned now. Regulation will take its personal course.”
In a 3rd incident, a number of hundred MNREG job playing cards and voter ID playing cards had been recovered by BJP supporters from a TMC workplace at Garbeta in West Midnapore district.
Palash Das, an area BJP employee, mentioned, “Such playing cards shall be present in all TMC workplaces if there’s a search operation.”
No district TMC chief commented on the recoveries.
On Sunday afternoon, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya addresed voters at South 24 Parganas district’s Falta meeting seat the place a repolling shall be held on Might 21 after allegations of threats by TMC MLA Jehangir Khan through the April 29 election.
Saidul Khan, the MLA’s brother-in-law, was arrested on Friday on expenses of assault and tried homicide.
“Individuals of Falta may by no means solid the poll freely. Earlier than the 2021 elections, bulletins had been made by way of loudspeakers in mosques, instructing individuals to remain residence. Worry no extra. The BJP authorities is right here. TMC will quickly be a factor of the previous,” Bhattacharya instructed voters on the rally.
On Friday night time, residents of Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas district handed Saidul Gazi, an alleged infiltrator from Satkhira, Bangladesh, over to the police, stating he had solid his vote within the latest election.
“Jainal Abedin, an area TMC gram panchayat member, gave me Aadhaar and voter ID playing cards declaring his personal mother and father as mine,” Gazi instructed the native media earlier than the police arrested him.
Police mentioned Abedin was absconding.
HT tried to succeed in out to TMC state vp Jay Prakash Majumdar and state normal secretary Kunal Ghosh for feedback however neither of them answered the calls.
