The Opposition parties on Monday complained about the inaction of the Central forces during electoral irregularities in several places on the first day of first phase polling in West Bengal.
The Opposition parties on Monday complained about the inaction of the Central forces during electoral irregularities in several places on the first day of first phase polling in West Bengal. The Congress alleged that it was the equation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee which resulted in the inadequate deployment of Central forces by the Election Commission. The BJP and the Left Front on the other hand asked the EC to take lessons from Monday’s incident and keep a tight vigil on the next polling day.
“Television footage showed that there was no presence of Central forces outside the polling premises. There was no route march or area domination carried out by the CRPF on the poll day. In Bankura’s Taldangra area the Central police personnel were seen buying groceries. In West Midnapore’s Salboni the Central police personnel were seen taking rest. Is this the way the EC wants to conduct the rest of the phases or is it because of the bonhomie between Modibhai and Didibhai ” a Congress leader asked.
BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said, “The EC needs to be on alert. It must take lessons from today’s incidents and make sure they do not get repeated in the next phases.”
The ruling Trinamul Congress, however, brushed aside such claims and said the peaceful polling in the first phase indicated people’s faith in chief minister Mamata Banerjee. “Today’s massive turnout showed the peoples’ faith in the Mamata Banerjee government which brought a revolution in Jangalmahal area through its development works,” said state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee.
Echoing the same, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said, “Those who do not have any connect with the masses can only make such baseless allegations.”
