Lok Sabha elections: Javadekar accuses TMC of “rigging”, demands re-polling in Barrackpore

Kolkata, May 06: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of indulging in booth capturing and demanded a re-poll in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Barrackpore candidate Arjun Singh was allegedly attacked by the TMC workers when he visited a polling booth, the members of the Mamata Banerjee-led party on the other hand alleged that Singh misbehaved with women supporters.

Javadekar accused the TMC "goons" of booth-capturing and not letting BJP voters cast their votes by resorting to threats and violence. He also alleged that the Election Commission had not done enough to make the polls free and fair in the state despite the BJP approaching it a number of times.

"The TMC wants to win elections by rigging as it cannot win by votes. We demand a repoll in the entire Barrackpore constituency," he said.

Javadekar also alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was behind the violence.

The BJP candidate from the seat, Arjun Singh, has been badly beaten by TMC workers, Javadekar alleged and added that ruling party workers were accompanying voters in the booth and casting votes at their behest.

Incidents of violence were also reported from Bangaon and Hooghly seats in West Bengal. There were also reports of clash between BJP and TMC workers in some parts of West Bengal where the voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 is underway.

Alleging that the police are not doing anything to stop rigging in some booths of Barrackpore seat, Arjun Singh demanded that polling be stopped and re-polling ordered.

"I was attacked by TMC goons who have been brought from outside. Those people were scaring away our voters. I am injured," said Arjun Singh a former TMC leader who recently joined the BJP.

"When I was going with our agent to the booth, TMC goons attacked me in front of the police," reports quoted Arjun Singh as saying.

In Hoogly, BJP candidate Locket Chaterjee reportedly got into in an argument with TMC supporters in Dhonekhali area of the constituency. Several incidents of violence were also reported in the third and fourth phase of the elections in the state. In the third phase, a person was killed and several others were injured during a clash outside a polling station. The fourth phase in the state was also embroiled into scuffles after the vehicle of sitting MP and BJP candidate from Asansol Babul Supriyo was attacked and vandalised allegedly by the TMC workers.