Mamata Banerjee alleges poll irregularities, projects big win amid Bhabanipur tensions

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday exuded confidence that her party will get at least 200 seats and form the government again. The spotlight of the second phase of polling was on the high-voltage fight in Bhabanipur constituency from where Banerjee and leader of the Opposition in the assembly Suvendu Adhikari are contesting.

Banerjee, who usually stayed at home in the past, only to come out to cast her vote, followed a different pattern this time. For the first time since she became chief minister, Banerjee was seen on the roads since early morning, visiting one polling booth after another, across her constituency. Banerjee cast her vote at around 4.30 pm at a polling booth at Mitra Institution.


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Alleging that there is an attempt to bulldoze democracy, she said on Wednesday morning that the police observers have openly harassed her party workers and leaders, threatening them in various parts of Kolkata. "Many police observers have been brought from other states. The whole night they have been torturing and threatening our people. There is torture across Bengal and observers have created an environment of fear. They are clearly working as per BJP's instructions," Banerjee said, adding that they have moved contempt of court.

"At night, CRPF had reached our councillor Babai's residence without the state police or the local police. His wife was alone with their child. Their mobile phone was snatched and they were threatened," Banerjee alleged.

"I have seen the central forces resorting to many atrocities on polling day. Atrocities have been committed in various areas of Nadia district, as well as Arambagh, Khanakul and Goghat areas of Hooghly district. There have been similar incidents in Canning area of South 24 Parganas district. The atrocities have been going on since Tuesday night," she alleged.

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Tension flared up in Kolkata's Kalighat area in Bhabanipur constituency on Wednesday afternoon when BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari visited a polling booth, which is a stone's throw away from Banerjee's residence, and was met with slogans of 'Joy Bangla', allegedly by Trinamool workers. Security personnel resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

He approached the Election Commission of India, seeking deployment of additional central forces.

The confrontation unfolded near Joy Hind Bhavan, a polling booth in Kalighat, when Adhikari, who had been touring polling booths across the Bhabanipur assembly constituency since morning, arrived to check arrangements.