A delegation of the BJP leaders met the Election Commission officials on Monday, alleging that the Trinamool Congress was “intimidating” voters in West Bengal to dissuade them from voting in favour of the saffron party in the upcoming assembly polls.
The delegation, which included Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Piyush Goyal, Sukanta Majumdar, and BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni, urged the poll body to take necessary action to ensure a free and fair election in the state.
Rijiju told reporters that, while elections are scheduled to be held in four states and one Union Territory, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was allegedly disrupting the election process to deprive voters of their rights. "Mamata Banerjee has caused havoc to hijack the election," Rijiju claimed.
He added that the chief minister herself was threatening voters in the state. "We had a detailed discussion with Election Commission officials regarding this issue," Rijiju said.
The minister further said that the Election Commission had assured that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections in West Bengal.
In the meantime, the Election Commission on Sunday transferred the officers-in-charge and inspectors-in-charge of 173 police stations across the state, including 31 stations under Kolkata Police, as part of efforts to ensure a free and fair election.
Officers posted in key constituencies such as Bhabanipur in Kolkata and Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district were included in the reshuffle.
Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will take place on April 23 and 29, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.
