Kolkata, May 12 (UNI) Largescale violence marked the sixth and penultimate phase of polling in Bengal with Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency in West Medinipur virtually turning into a battlefield, even as an estimated 80 per cent of 1,33,69,749 electorate exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 83 candidates in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Election Commission (EC) sources said while 82.99 per cent turnout was recorded in Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, 80.06 per cent in Kanthi, 80.35 per cent in Ghatal, 81.68 per cent in Jhargram, 78.17 per cent in Medinipur, 78.64 per cent in Purulia, 75.68 in Bankura and 81.90 in Bishnupur.
Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Ghatal and Jhargram Lok Sabha seats soon after polls for the sixth phase began in West Bengal.
In Keshpur, BJP candidate, former IPS officer and once a trusted lieutenant of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Bharati Ghosh was gheraoed by villagers when she went to a booth.
Ghosh's security resorted to baton charge following which locals lobbed stones injuring one of her security guards. Ghosh's car was ransacked. The incident took place at around 0800 hours.
Ghosh was in tears this morning after she was attacked, heckled and pushed to the ground at a polling station.
Soon after, she was heckled at another polling station. The Election Commission has sought a report after Bharati Ghosh allegedly tried to enter the booth with her mobile phone and take a video.
" I am a candidate. I can always enter a polling booth. Those who are trying to stop me should be arrested. They (Trinamool) are resorting to organised violence against me, " Ghosh said before leaving the spot.
A Trinamool Congress worker too was injured after he was hit by a bullet fired by Ghosh's bodyguard in the violence.
In Jhargram a BJP worker Ramen Singh (46) was allegedly attacked by TMC workers at Beliabera village in Gopiballavpur. Singh was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead.
TMC leaders denied the allegations. The incident took place around midnight.
Riot police chased TMC activists away. The TMC activists vandalised several cars, including that of Ghosh and some journo vehicles.
However, Ghosh's car was seized and taken to Keshpur police station for not having valid papers.
Consequently, Ghosh was left immobile. She sat on a protest demonstration at a Kali temple at Keshpur after her car was seized by local police for allegedly not having valid papers.
At Bhagowanpur under Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency two BJP supporters were shot at.
At Danton under Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh faced violent protest from people who raised 'Go Back' slogan to him. Mr Ghosh is the party candidate from this constituency.
Four TMC workers were also injured at Belda in West Midnapore district after BJP and TMC men were engaged in a clash.
The camp office of TMC was ransacked allegedly by BJP workers, while the condition of one of the four injured TMC workers was stated to be critical.
A BJP worker was found dead in tribal-dominated Jhargram. The party blamed the state's ruling Trinamool Congress for the worker's death.
However, the Trinamool Congress denied any link even as BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya alleged that Trinamool workers entered his home and killed him.
The tension was running high in the area after the incident.
West Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh alleged TMC goons are stopping people from voting. He said, “At a booth in Rampura (West Medinipur), my people were being threatened since yesterday so I went to meet. TMC goons attacked us, we were stopped from going inside the booth. These people are stopping people from voting.”
Earlier, Ghosh's convoy was attacked by unidentified men and his car vandalised at Dantan in West Medinipur. Two people were injured in the violence, one severely.
Ghosh alleged that the men were sent by the TMC. " They are behaving like hooligans and not letting polling take place peacefully, " he said. People were allegedly heard shouting 'Dilip Ghosh go back' after surrounding his car.
The state BJP president said, "We are being stopped by the police. Twice, our leader's cars have been attacked. This arbitrary government has crossed all limits and are not considering that it is a democracy. They have resorted to unethical measures."
Booths 188 and 189 in Bankura of West Bengal saw a full-blown argument between polling agents and BJP candidate Dr Subodh Sarkar. Sarkar had alleged that a polling agent was an "outsider without any identity proof.
The latest report said security forces guarding Kolabagan polling booth at Bakadoho under Bishnupur LS seat fired two rounds from the service rifle in the air after the voters engaged in clashes and many started demanding to stop polling. A deputy commander claimed they fired two rounds in the air to restore the situation after many people on the queue began fighting.
TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim alleged that the security guards of BJP's Ghatal's candidate fired at the instance of BJP leader in which a TMC supporter was injured at Dogachia under Kesiary in Keshpur. One of the Ghosh security personnel was also injured, who was taken to
hospital. The trouble happened when Ms Ghosh went into a booth 139 where the BJP agent was allegedly removed by the TMC supporters.
Ms Ghosh denied this and demanded the verification of the bullet fired
from guns whether it was from her security men or from other sources.
BJP's observer for the state Kailash Vijaybargiya denied this and said the firing happened from the TMC supporters. He alleged Ms Ghosh was harassed by the state police and her car was also seized to make her immovable. He said Ghosh was hurt in the attack let loose by the TMC goons to loot votes.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the ECI failed to hold free and fair voting in all six phases polling so far. He said despite repeated requests to poll body to ensure free and fair polling, it's appointed special central police observer Vivek Dubey was to be blamed fully.
"I knew that the TMC would not allow to free and fair polling has been succeeded after the ruling party managed to influence the special police observer Vivek Dubey "
Kolkata Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim, meanwhile, alleged in Kolkata that Mr Dilip Ghosh and Ms Bharati Ghosh have been orchestrating violence in Medinipur and Ghata' and charged the Election Commission with being a 'mute spectator'.
However, an election official said polling at eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal remained “peaceful”.
“Polling is very peaceful. It is going fine. Our officials are keeping a close watch on the polling process,” he said.
Meanwhile addressing a press conference, BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said in New Delhi, “ Violence in West Bengal by TMC is still on. Bharti Ghosh convoy was attacked in Ghatal. She was not allowed to visit the polling booth. This shows that TMC is rattled. '
“Mamata Banerjee used to say there is an expiry date of prime minister but the way they (Trinamool Congress) are conducting elections shows the expiry date of Mamata, ” he said.
“ She (Mamata Banerjee) cannot be a prime minister as she will not even win the West Bengal election. They (opposition parties) met in Delhi and complained about EVMs, this shows that they have already lost the elections, people will give a mandate to BJP. BJP alone will get 300 plus seats, ” Mr Javadekar added.
Security forces in West Bengal's Ghatal constituency lathi-charged at a huge mob that had gathered outside the polling booth in Keshpur Bazar. Police also used tear gas in the area. The seat where TMC's actor-and-politician Dev and BJP's Bharati Ghosh are going head to head, saw violence all day.
Not for the first time this election, a BJP delegation led by the party's vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar and election committee member Sishir Bajoria will meet the West Bengal chief electoral officer to discuss the subject of discrepancies in Phase 6 of the polls at 2 pm in Kolkata's BBD Bagh. The polls in Bengal saw widespread violence between TMC and BJP workers.
Villagers in Bishnupur constituency, booth no 253/226, are boycotting polls. They claimed that central forces are harassing the men and not letting women cast their vote. "There are four central force personnel on duty at the booth. They are not letting us enter and are asking us to vote for BJP. Because we denied, they are not letting the women enter the booth and are chasing us and threatening to beat up the men. Hence, the villagers have decided we will boycott voting," they said.
BJP leader Mukul Roy's cab was stopped at Kolkata Airport and searched. This led to an argument between the former TMC leader and the police. The incident came after Rs 1.13 lakh was seized with Ghatal BJP candidate Bharti Ghosh on Friday.
Mukul Roy said, "I was once thoroughly searched while exiting the airport. Now that I just came out on the main road they again stopped me. These are not the police, they are all slaves of Mamata Banerjee. I am sure they feel ashamed to identify themselves as police even to their own children. This is a planned harassment activity by TMC."
The Election Commission has directed the police to register a complaint against BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh for coming within 100 metres of booths (206 and 207 number booths in Keshpur) with security men carrying arms.
On Sunday morning, Ghosh went to these booths after getting reports that her polling agent could not enter the booth since TMC supporters were resisting him.
Eventually, Ghosh had to return after trying fruitlessly to take him into the booth. She was heckled by TMC women supporters when she and her agent tried to enter the booth. Around 4 pm, police blocked the way of Ghazal's BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh when she was moving towards Pingla. Guardrails were placed on the road to prevent her car.
“If there is any allegation of my security personnel opening fire, there will be an investigation. Bullets will be matched and due process has to be followed. But why block my way?” Ghosh told the media.
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab has sought a report from District Magistrate of Ghatal in West Bengal regarding the attack on BJP Ghatal candidate Bharati Ghosh's convoy. The BJP accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers of attacking Ghosh's convoy and obstructing her entry into a polling booth in Keshpur. Ghosh has alleged that BJP polling agents were not being allowed to sit at the booth in Keshpur and that she was heckled by women workers of TMC who tried to prevent her from entering the booth.
Meanwhile, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today that the last five years of the Narendra Modi-led Government had proved to be “years of performance, progress and prosperity”.
'Despite negative and obstructionist politics of the Opposition, the Modi Government has tirelessly and honestly worked for the welfare of every section of the society,' Mr Naqvi reiterated.
The Union minister for Minority Affairs said earlier the “Gaali Gang” was abusing the prime minister but now they have started abusing EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) also. 'This proves that these Opposition parties have surrendered even before the Lok Sabha election results are declared,' he remarked.
Mr Naqvi said Mr Modi has worked with commitment to make good governance as “Rashtrapati” and Inclusive Growth as “Rashtradharma”. The “Gaali Gang” has crossed all the limits while abusing him. The people of the country will teach a lesson on May 23rd to this “Gaali Gang” for abusing the prime minister, who is working tirelessly for dignity, security and prosperity of the country.
'On 23rd May, the “arrogance of the feudal mindset” of the Congress and their some allies will disappear,' he observed.
The minister maintained that recognition of many political parties will be in danger after the Lok Sabha elections results.
'That is why several political parties are more concerned about their existence than forming the government after the election results. The country doesn’t want “Jugaad or Jod Tod Ki Sarkaar”, the country wants “Spasht Janadesh Ki Sarkaar” (government with a clear majority) under the leadership of Mr Modi,' he explained.
Mr Naqvi said that the "Modi Hatao Mandli" which had been assembled in Kolkata has now become "EVM Vilaap Mandli". These political parties have neither become unite before elections nor will they unite after the election results only because of their “political self-interests”.
Referring to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the minister said “arrogance” of Didi will be wiped out on 23rd May. Trinamool Congress wants to convert the governance into "laboratory of anarchy". These people are trying to convert "the legacy of Satyamev Jayate" into "the politics of Jhuthmev Jayate".
He said the prime minister had never allowed politics to come in the way of the progress of the country. Without thinking about political gains or loss, Mr Modi took bold decisions for the welfare of the country. These decisions have proved that Narendra Modi is the name of a strong and credible personality who makes impossible things possible, he asserted.
Mr Naqvi said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken several major reformists and bold steps such as demonetisation, GST, 10 per cent reservation to backward classes of general category, “Pradhanmantri Mudra Yojana”, “Ujjwala Yojana”, “Pradhanmantri Jan Dhan Yojana”, “Ayushman Bharat”. These schemes and programmes have ensured “happiness in eyes and prosperity in life” of every needy", he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a credible brand of development and good governance.
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