Kolkata, Apr 29: As West Bengal votes in the second phase of its crucial assembly elections, allegations of malpractice have surfaced in Diamond Harbour, the stronghold of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The BJP has alleged that in several polling booths in Falta, “the button to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice.”

Amit Malviya, BJP’s media in-charge, demanded repolling in all affected booths, calling it the “Diamond Harbour Model,” which he claimed had earlier helped Abhishek Banerjee secure his Lok Sabha seat.

The Trinamool Congress has denied the charges, instead blaming the Election Commission and police observer Ajay Pal Sharma, whom they accused of threatening their candidate. State Election Chief Manoj Agarwal responded, saying “prompt action is being taken whenever a problem is being reported from anywhere in the state.”
Also read: Phase-2 Voting Underway in West Bengal as 142 Constituencies Cast Votes

Violence & Vandalism

Violence and vandalism marred the second phase of polling, with incidents reported from Chapra, Shantipur, and Bhangar. In Kolkata’s Entally seat, BJP candidate Priyana Tibrewal clashed with polling officers and security personnel after her representative was ejected from a booth.

Officials cited the booth’s small size, but Tibrewal alleged bias, saying, “See how irked they are. They have 10 people inside to get a button pressed…” A Trinamool representative was also asked to leave after joining the dispute.

In Chapra, Nadia district, BJP agent Mosharef Mir was allegedly assaulted by Trinamool-linked individuals. Mir, hospitalized after the attack, claimed over a dozen workers, one armed with a gun, rushed at him and struck him with a rod.

BJP candidate Saikat Sarkar accused Trinamool workers of hitting Mir on the head, causing injury. Police confirmed a case has been filed, though Trinamool denied involvement.

Elsewhere, property damage was reported in Shantipur, where furniture at a BJP camp was smashed, sparking tension.

In Bhangar, an Indian Secular Front agent was allegedly prevented from entering a booth. Additionally, BJP candidate Bikash Sardar’s car was vandalized, with visuals showing its rear windshield shattered.

The BJP blamed Trinamool workers for the attack, further intensifying the charged atmosphere of Bengal’s polls.

Series of Transfers

The Election Commission on Tuesday ordered a series of transfers in West Bengal, just hours before the second and final phase of assembly polling, following protests in Falta, South 24 Parganas.

The Joint Block Development Officer (BDO) of Falta, Sourav Hazra, was moved to Purulia with immediate effect. Two Additional District Magistrates — Bhaskar Pal of South 24 Parganas and Souvik Bhattacharya of Birbhum — were also stripped of all election-related responsibilities, though no reasons were cited in the official orders.

Hazra’s transfer comes amid allegations of non-cooperation with special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma, who faced strong protests from TMC workers during his late-night visit to the residence of the ruling party’s candidate Jahangir Khan.

Sharma, accompanied by central forces, reportedly issued a stern warning against voter intimidation. On Tuesday, he intensified surveillance, conducting route marches and searches in sensitive areas based on intelligence inputs.

Tensions escalated as TMC supporters staged demonstrations near party offices, chanting “go back” and “Jai Bangla” slogans against Sharma.

The Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, popularly known as “Singham” for his tough stance against criminals, was seen in a video warning potential troublemakers of “appropriate treatment” if they attempted to disrupt polling.

Falta, part of the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency represented by Trinamool heavyweight Abhishek Banerjee, is considered highly sensitive. The Election Commission has deployed heavy security, including over a hundred armed paramilitary personnel and an armoured vehicle, to ensure free and fair voting.

While the Trinamool accused Sharma of “intimidating” party workers and overstepping his mandate, the poll body maintained that immediate corrective measures were being taken wherever irregularities were reported.