Amid the ongoing second phase of polling in West Bengal, a Trinamool Congress candidate expressed concerns about the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials being brought into the state by the Centre, alleging it was to intimidate voters and party workers. Saokat Molla, the Trinamool candidate from the Bhangar Assembly constituency, highlighted the unexpected arrival of the NIA team and urged the Election Commission to address the issue.
Another Trinamool candidate, Madan Mitra from the Kamarhati constituency, reported a malfunction in an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at a polling booth. Mitra described an incident where a voter faced difficulties casting their vote due to EVM issues, raising suspicions of potential election rigging if similar problems occurred elsewhere.
Mitra also mentioned instances of searches conducted at the residences of Trinamool leaders and workers the previous night, expressing concerns about the impact on the democratic process. He further noted the lack of seating arrangements for voters, leading to long queues, but acknowledged the voter turnout despite challenging weather conditions.
Various Trinamool leaders, including West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kakali Sen, expressed confidence in the party’s performance in the elections. They emphasized the resilience and support of the people of Bengal towards the party, with predictions of a significant victory for Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee.
Former Trinamool MP and actor Nusrat Jahan encouraged those who had not voted yet to participate in the democratic process and cast their votes without delay.
