West Bengal Assembly elections: TMC alleges EVM rigging, 10 MPs reach EC office to complain

As the first phase of West Bengal Assembly Elections is underway, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged that the EVMs has been tampered with. 10 TMC MPs reached the State Election Commission's office to complain.

TMC's Derek O'Brien wrote to EC, "Voter turnout for ACs Kanthi Dakshin (216)&Kanthi Uttar (213) at 9:13 am was 18.47% & 18.95% respectively, 4 mins later at 9:17 am voter turnout reduced to 10.60% & 9:40%. Such discrepancy raises question on genuineness of data issued by EC."

Meanwhile, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh rubbished the allegations of poll rigging made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) and said Mamata Banerjee's party is losing and therefore it is making false charges.

"Trinamool Congress (TMC) is losing, which is why they are coming up with false narratives. They can go to the Election Commission or the central forces for resolving such problems, but they choose to make accusations," he said after he cast his vote in the first phase of Assembly polls.

On the other hand, in Assam, over 81.09 lakh voters, including 40,77,210 males and 40,32,481 females, are eligible to cast their votes at 1,1537 polling stations in this phase. The polling will continue till 6 pm.

A total of 264 candidates are in the fray for 47 seats -- 42 seats from 11 districts of Upper Assam and northern Assam region and five seats from central Assam's Nagaon district.

On the other hand, in West Bengal, more than 73 lakh voters in West Bengal will decide the fate of 191 candidates in 30 seats. Most of the constituencies going to the polls fall in the once-Naxal-affected Jungle Mahal region.

The Election Commission (EC) of India has extended 30 minutes of the polling time for phase 1 of West Bengal Assembly elections 2021, following COVID-19 guidelines. 

EC has made adequate arrangements and taken precautionary measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 375 companies of security personnel including both central and state armed police forces like the Central Armed Police Force (CRPF) and State Armed Police (SAP) of other states have been deployed for the polls. 300 units will be active during the first phase.

Key candidates for this phase of polling include incumbent Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Majuli. Sonowal had wrested the seat from Congress' Rajib Lochan Pegu in the 2016 assembly elections. Pegu, who had won the seat for three straight terms since 2001, has again been fielded by Congress.

Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami is in the poll battle from Jorhat, ministers Ranjit Dutta from Behali, Naba Kumar Doley from Jonai and Sanjoy Kishan from Tinsukia.