BJP tries to barge into Bengal SEC office with candidates who failed to file nominations for rural polls

High drama unfolded at the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) office here on Wednesday as BJP leaders tried to barge into the premises with party candidates who they claimed have failed to file their nominations for the rural polls due to alleged violence.

They demanded that the SEC take steps to ensure free and fair elections.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), on the other hand, alleged that the BJP was staging a drama to divert attention from its failure to field candidates in all the seats.

The incident took place on Wednesday evening as Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar brought candidates huddled into buses to the SEC office.

The BJP leaders and the candidates attempted to enter the SEC office but were met with barricades and opposition from the police, leading to chaos outside the office.

This led to jostling as BJP workers raised slogans against the State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for trying to ”turn the election into a farce”.

”Opposition candidates are not able to file nominations for the upcoming panchayat elections as the SEC has become a frontal organisation of the TMC. There are several blocks where there is no proper security. If this situation continues, there is no need for polls as the TMC will win uncontested,” Adhikari told reporters.

After they were stopped, they organised a sit-in demonstration in front of the office, leading to traffic snarls.

Majumdar alleged that the SEC favoured the TMC and enabled violence and malpractice.

”The SEC is working as per the instruction of the TMC, which has unleashed violence across the state. They are not allowing the deployment of central forces and deliberately creating a situation which is marred by violence and malpractice. This can’t be accepted in a democracy where only TMC will file nominations, and we won’t be allowed,” he said.

Later the BJP leaders met SEC officials, and the sit-in was withdrawn.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the requisition and deployment of central forces for the July 8 panchayat polls but refused to consider the plea for extending the time for filing of nominations and left it to the discretion of the State Election Commission.

Reacting to the incident, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, ”The BJP, out of fear, is resorting to drama and levelling baseless allegations against us. The TMC wants peaceful elections. The BJP, CPI(M) and Congress are resorting to violence to vitiate the atmosphere.” Around 5.67 crore will be eligible to exercise their franchise to choose representatives for nearly 74,000 seats in zilla parishads, panchayat samiti and gram panchayats in the three-tier panchayat elections.