West Bengal elections: Congress, Left demand repoll in parts of Murshidabad district

Kolkata: The Congress and the Left Front (LF) on Thursday demanded a repoll in 15 polling booths of Domkol constituency in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of indulging in “massive rigging” and booth-capturing there.

LF spearhead Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said there were disturbances in six-seven of the 62 constituencies voting in phase three of the assembly polls.

“We think there should be repoll in 15 polling booths of Domkol constituency. One person died and two others were injured in violence perpetrated by the Trinamool Congress in Domkol. In rest of the Murshidabad district, there were no reports of any serious incidents,” he said.

In Nadia district, there were disturbances in the municipal areas of Gayeshpur and Chakdah, he said.

“However, the maximum violence happened in Kolkata, the capital city. Four constituencies including Entally, Beleghta, Kashipur-Belgachia were affected,” he said.

“The trouble erupted in a number of booths. We have registered complaints with the Election Commission. The steps which should have been taken in Kolkata were not taken,” he added.

However, he expressed overall satisfaction over the role of the Election Commission in the third phase. “EC has tried to discharge its responsibilities. But the real credit goes to the people, for the way they put up resistance.”

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also demanded repoll in the 15 polling booths of Domkol.

However, he said The Trinamool would not be able to win any of the 22 seats in Mushidabad.

Chowdhury predicted the Congress-Left Front will win 65-70 percent of the 62 seats where polling took place during the day.