Amid voting for the first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), on Saturday urged the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that only those registered as voters in an assembly segment where an election booth was located could function as a polling agent for that booth. The rule had been relaxed last week to allow agents to be appointed from any part of an assembly constituency.
The development comes at a time when EC officials said that sporadic instances of violence were reported across the state during polling on Saturday.
54.90 percent of 73.80 lakh voters had exercised their franchise as of 1.00 pm, officials said.
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A TMC delegation, led by MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, told reporters after meeting state Chief Electoral officer Aariz Aftab that only locals, living in the Assembly segment where the booth was located should be appointed as polling agents by parties "as was the practice earlier."
"After representations by BJP, the Election Commission has changed the long established tradition of asking parties to have polling agents from the same locality and this has caused a lot of problems in the booths in the first phase as many of the agents don't even know each other," he said.
The TMC has hence urged the CEO to revert to the earlier practice of having polling agents of the same locality which will also minimise the chance of discrepancies and ensure fair polling in the remaining seven phases, he added.
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To a question on EC reaction to TMC's demands, Bandyopadhyay said "the CEO listened to our points. But did not say much."
Asked if he expected a favourable response from EC, he said "our job is to point out issues to them. We believe in democratic traditions."
Reacting to claims by BJP that TMC is scared of the outcome as it is fast losing support, Bandyopadhyay said "after May 2 it will be amply clear who the populace prefers."
The elections are being held amid a covid-19 surge and authorities have been tasked with ensuring compliance of all covid-related guidelines. The Election Commission (EC) has deployed around 684 companies of central forces to guard 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.
The seats that are going to polls include-- nine seats in Purulia, four in Bankura, four in Jhargram and six in Paschim Medinipur, besides the seven seats in high-stakes Purba Medinipur – the home ground of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
As many as 73 lakh voters will decide the fate of 191 candidates contesting in these seats. The TMC and BJP have fielded candidates in 29 seats each, while the Left-Congress-ISF alliance has put up candidates in all 30 seats, even as there are "friendly fights" in some.
Of these 30 seats, 27 were won by the TMC in the 2016 Assembly elections, the Congress bagged two and RSP one. However, the equations changed in 2019 with BJP making massive inroads in the tribal-dominated Jungle Mahal region, winning all five Lok Sabha constituencies -- Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Medinipur and Bishnupur.
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(With PTI inputs)
