Violence erupted between workers of Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) outside the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in West Bengal late on Tuesday over allegations of bulk submission of Form 6 by the BJP.
“Councillor Beleghata with some hooligans gathered at the CEO’s office and shouted slogans at the dead of night. Such anti-social activities will not be tolerated, and the law will take its own course. ECI will leave no stone unturned to ensure free and fair assembly elections,” the CEO’s office posted on X on Wednesday morning.
Earlier on Tuesday, heated altercations broke out between TMC and BJP workers supporters outside the CEO’s office on Strand Road.
The TMC alleged that BJP workers were submitting Form 6 in bulk directly at the CEO’s office to enrol voters from BJP-ruled states as voters of West Bengal. The two-phased assembly election in the state is scheduled later this month.
Additional reinforcement was brought in and central forces were deployed along with large contingents of the Kolkata Police to tighten security.
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TMC convenor Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday sent a letter to chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar alleging that large-scale attempts were being made by the BJP to enroll outsiders as voters of West Bengal.
Meanwhile, the BJP sent a letter to the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday accusing Banerjee of making inflammatory and intimidatory speeches at election rallies.
“Credible reports indicate that large numbers of Form 6 applications are being submitted by BJP agents at the CEO’s office and across several districts. These do not seem to be routine applications for voter inclusion but a mischievous ploy to include non-residents in the electoral roll,” Banerjee wrote in her letter to the CEC.
“This is a government office and people may come to the receiving section to submit documents. Some Form 6 have been submitted to the receiving section of the CEO’s office. Forms can be submitted year-round. However, only voters who submit Form 6 at least ten days before the last day of nomination for any election would be enrolled. Voters, whose Form 6 was submitted after March 30, will not be enrolled for the coming polls,” Agarwal told media persons on Tuesday.
