Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates on Friday welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to conduct re-polling at 15 polling booths in two Assembly constituencies, Magrahat (Paschim) and Diamond Harbour, both in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
Following complaints of “tampering” of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) button besides the name and symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Falta, the Election Commission of India had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
Hailing the move, BJP candidate from Bhabanipur and Nandigram constituencies, Suvendu Adhikari said: “The decision for Magrahat West is welcome, but in Diamond Harbour, it should happen in more booths.”
“There, it’s only happening in four booths. Repolls should be held in the entire Falta segment, or it should happen in at least 60 booths,” he told reporters.
On being asked that the repolling order has not come for the Falta constituency, Adhikari said: “They (Election Commission) must be thinking something. There are some procedures, such as CCTV footage, observer’s report, and presiding officer’s handbook.”
“There are certain systems, and they are doing according to them. We fully respect the Election Commission. We do not talk like the way (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee does,” he said.
BJP candidate from Noapara Assembly constituency, Arjun Singh, also asserted that the re-polling decision is correct.
“The way EVM tampering was done and if even a single person is unable to cast his or her vote, it is the Election Commission’s responsibility to conduct voting again,” he said.
However, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh disapproved of the re-polling and alleged that the process is being demanded “forcefully”.
He said, “Whatever they want to do, it’s not right. There was peaceful voting. They are demanding a repoll forcefully.”
Ghosh claimed that in whichever booth re-polling will take place, “Trinamool Congress will win with a big majority”.
Of the 15 polling booths where re-polling will be held on Saturday, 11 are in Magrahat (Paschim), and four are in Diamond Harbour. Polling in both these Assembly constituencies was conducted in the second phase of the two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal on April 29.
(IANS)
