Kolkata: In the early hours of the 1st phase of West Bengal Assembly Polls, 2021, on Saturday, sparked apprehensions that the day will be stormy. However, as the mercury took a northward drive as the day passed on, the apprehensions cooled down to a great extent.
The day ended with around 80% of polling in the 30 constituencies in five districts that went for polls on Saturday. Barring stray incidences of violence and clashes the polling was otherwise peaceful, confirmed officials from the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal.
The final voting percentage for the day will not be known before Sunday noon, as was still continuing till the time the report was filed.
The day started with the tension after the body of a BJP worker, Mongol Soren was detected at his residence at Keshiyari in West Midnapore district. BJP leadership alleged that the death was a case of murder with the culprits being the goons of ruling Trinamool Congress. The ruling party leadership denied the allegation.
Also, sources from the ECI confirmed that as per police reports the death has no connection with poll-related violence.
ALSO READ: Mamata tosses ball to supporter, shouts 'BJP bowled out'
On Saturday morning, the CPI(M) candidate from Salboni, Sushanta Ghosh’s vehicle was surrounded by the Trinamool Congress activists and Ghosh was heckled, pushed and shown sandals. However, the police and central forces personnel rescued Ghosh. A total of seven persons were arrested in this connection.
On Saturday morning, Trinamool activists at Kathi (South) constituency alleged that although the EVM buttons were pushed beside the Trinamool symbol, the votes were registered in favour of BJP. However, ECI ruled out the allegations and said that malfunctioning of EVMs are not possible.
ALSO READ: Mamata accuses PM of wooing voters during Bangladesh visit, asks why his visa should
However, as the day passed on the heat of violence apprehension cooled down, and instead, two viral audio clips caught the limelight. In the first audio, that went viral, chief minister, Mamata Banerjee was heard appealing to BJP’s district president of East Midnapore, Pralay Pal to help in the forthcoming polls for Nandigram, where the chief minister is pitted against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
While BJP claimed that this audio clip, the authenticity of which could not be authenticated by ETV Bharat, was an indirect submission of defeat, Trinamool Congress leadership toned down the incident claiming that there was nothing unconstitutional or unethical about the incident.
Soon after that, another audio clip went viral where BJP’s national vice president, Mukul Roy was heard another BJP leader, Sisir Bajoria, of what to demand to the full bench of Election Commission of India (ECI) when the latter was in West Bengal on March 21. Trinamool spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said that this is proof that substantiates Trinamool’s apprehension that ECI was working under the instructions of BJP leadership. There had been no counter-reactions from BJP in this regards till late evening.
Political observers feel that surely it is going to be the most tightly- contested polls in the recent future.
