BJP's Roopa Ganguly alleges heckling by TMC activists

Kolkata, April 25: BJP's star candidate Roopa Ganguly on Monday faced angry protests by Trinamool Congress activists in her constituency during the fourth phase of the West Bengal assembly polls.

The actress-turned-politician contesting from Howrah North alleged "rampant booth capturing" and voter intimidation by Trinamool goons in her constituency.

Rubbishing her allegations, Trinamool candidate and ex-cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla in turn accused Roopa of trying to influence the voters.

"Since morning I have been getting complaints of our voters being intimidated and polling agents being assaulted and driven out of the booths. When I tried to intervene and asked the poll officials to intervene, Trinamool goons surrounded and bad-mouthed me," said Roopa.

During her visit to one of the booths in Salkia, the actress faced noisy protests from Trinamool supporters with many of them accusing her of forcing her way into the booth and disrupting the poll process.

"All the protests and heckling are being done with the single motive of preventing me from reaching the booths. Even the police is sending central security forces after me to ensure the booths remain unmanned so that the Trinamool can cast false votes," alleged Roopa, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would file a complaint with the Election Commission (EC).

Shukla in turn accused Roopa of influencing voters.

"Voting has been peaceful and there is no report of any malpractices. In fact, it's she who has been trying to influence voters and disrupting the poll process. The party has initiated a complaint against her with the EC," said Shukla.

IANS