In Bengal's Rejinagar and Nandigram bypolls, voters inked but 'not allowed' to vote

Saheb Seikh reached Mirzapur Khagrupara Primary School in Beldanga, Rejinagar, to vote but was allegedly told by the central forces to return home as his vote had already been cast.

Ramjan Seikh of Khagrupara was allowed into the same polling station, his finger marked with indelible ink, but was prevented from entering the EVM cubicle and told that his vote had already been polled.

Anup Kumar Pal of Haripur village in Nandigram alleged that BJP supporters, accompanied by police, visited his house on Monday night and directed him and his family to stay away from the polling station.

Mahima Biwi’s finger was inked at polling station 28 in Bhekutia, Nandigram, but she was disallowed from casting her vote.

The Rejinagar and Nandigram bypolls on Tuesday were marred by allegations of malpractice barely four months after the Gyanesh Kumar-led Election Commission prided itself on conducting “free, fair and peaceful” elections in Bengal.

The Opposition accused the BJP dispensation of “misusing” the police and central forces.

Reports of serious irregularities poured in from Muslim-dominated pockets of Rejinagar in Murshidabad, where the Bhagirathi divides the constituency into two distinct geographical and demographic zones. Nine panchayats under Rejinagar and Beldanga police stations on the eastern bank have a predominantly Muslim population, while five panchayats under Saktipur police station on the western bank are largely Hindu-dominated. Muslims account for around 65 per cent of Rejinagar’s electorate.

Several voters claimed they were prevented from entering the booths at polling stations 85 and 86 at Mirzapur Khagrupara Primary School and informed that their votes had already been cast.

Voter Golam Seikh alleged that only BJP and RSS workers were permitted to enter the booths at polling stations 9 and 10 at Takipur Primary School.

“The BJP and RSS workers voted for us. The police told me that my vote had already been polled and asked me to return home,” he said.

CPM candidate Md Sayeed’s election agent Sanatan Haldar said he was not allowed to enter polling station 170 at Sompara.

“Even after I introduced myself as the CPM candidate’s election agent, cops forcibly took away my ID card andtore it, terming it fake. If a candidate’s election agent cannot vote, there is no need to explain what the general voters faced,” Haldar said.

Aam Janata Unnayan Party MLA Humayun Kabir, who was arrested after a heated exchange with the police outside his party office, said “votes were being looted since morning”.

“Vote looting is happening in Rejinagar. Democracy is being killed,” said Kabir, whose son Golam Nabi Azad is contesting the seat vacated by him.

Congress candidate Abdullahil Kafi was allegedly shoved out of a polling station when he wanted to lodge a complaint, prompting him to demonstrate outside the police station.

Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said a “silent terror and vote-rigging” was unleashed under police supervision in Rejinagar.

CPM candidate Sayeed termed the polling a “nightmare”.

“I used to hear stories of terrorists preventing people from casting votes and army and central paramilitary forces building confidence among people to bring voters to polling stations. But on Tuesday, I witnessed the opposite picture in Rejinagar, with the police terrorising people. In several areas, the police randomly dispersed voters from around polling stations. This is horrible,” he said.

The BJP dismissed the allegations as the expression of “frustration over electoral performance”.

“Even a few days ago it was hard for some people to believe that the BJP could win in Rejinagar. The situation has changed. People have rejected those who are making such allegations,” Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said.

Murshidabad district police chief Sachin Makkar also dismissed the charges.

“I will not reply to these statements. I can say that the by-election in Rejinagar was held peacefully without any untoward incident. No complaint of vote looting has been lodged with the police so far,” he said.

In Nandigram, Congress and Left supporters accused BJP workers and the police of preventing voters from reaching booths.

“There are three voters in my house — me, my wifeand son. I was not at home at night. They threatened my son and wife and said that if we voted, we would be evicted from our village. My family and many families in the area could not go to the booth to vote because of fear,” said Anup Kumar Pal ofHaripur.

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan said several voters were confined to their homes, and those who managed to reach the booths were sent back after their fingers were inked.

“Tuesday’s polling was more than a farce. It is a shameful display of grabbing power in a fascist way,” Pradhan said.

The Congress alleged that biker gangs had entered Nandigram through the Khejuri border and demanded that the Tekhali Bridge over the Talpati Canal be sealed.

By 5pm, Rejinagar recorded around 78 per cent polling, sharply below the 92 per cent turnout registered there in the April election.

Opposition parties said the drop in turnout should be scrutinised.