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Button pressed for TMC, VVPAT slip showing BJP, at Kanthi

In a polling station at Kanthi (Contai, Purba Medinipur district) West Bengal, a voter complained that after he pressed the button and voted for TMC, the VVPAT gave the slip denoting the vote for BJP. That led to a ruckus at the site and protests against the Election Commission of India. There were also incidents in places like Bhagabanpur, Purba Medinipur, where the saffron camp tried to influence the SOPs of the election commission.

The first phase of election in West Bengal concluded on Saturday with few incidents of clashes and complaints regarding EVM machines from various polling-stations.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

In the same context, the Election commission of India had changed its rules for the polling agents, which were framed in 2009. The 2009 rules mandated that the polling agent needs to be a voter under that polling station or an adjacent one. The new rules were released on March 26, a day prior to the beginning of the election in West Bengal, and relaxed the requirement underlined by the 2009 rules. A delegation of ten TMC leaders including Derek O’brien has rasied a notice with the  ECI to reverse the change in the rules.

Sources on the condition of anonymity stated that the rules were changed to provide leverage to BJP to get polling agents from across the state, when the saffron camp is having trouble getting polling agents.

All of this, especially the Kanthi incident, begs a question, ie is Election Commission of India playing stooge at the hands of the saffron camp?

Election in West Bengal is scheduled to be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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CM Mamata Banerjee criticized the Bangladesh-trip of Modi during West Bengal polls

Mamata_Banerjee

Modi’s two-day visit to Bangladesh carried out during election in West Bengal drew criticism from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

CM Banerjee accused him of trying to influence voters in the state. Ms. Banerjee reminded Modi of an incident before the 2019 Lok Sabha election, when a Bangladesh actor who attended a Trinamool rally had his visa revoked. In this regard, CM Banerjee asked, “Why should not your visa be cancelled?”

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

BJP & Trinamool have traded volleys of allegations of sponsoring violence and vote-rigging all day. Soumendu Adhikari said that he had been attacked by Trinamool supporters in Contai. He added that his vehicle had been vandalized and the driver was injured. Soumendu is the brother of ex-Trinamool MLA Suvendu Adhikari, whose boat-jumping to BJP last year triggered a bitter spat with Ms. Banerjee.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

Suvendu Adhikari demanded the suspension of police officers in that constituency and Haldi for helping the ruling party in rigging votes. He will take on Ms. Banerjee in a high-stakes battle for Nandigram in the second phase.

The election in West Bengal 2021 is scheduled to be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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Audio-clip war escalated with TMC alleging that Mukul Roy was speaking about influencing Election Commission

Mukul-roy-mamata-banerjee

The conflict over the audio-clip (released by BJP) of Mamata Banerjee escalated and heated up. As per reports, TMC also released an audio file that purportedly showed that BJP leader Mukul Roy was talking about influencing the Election Commission of India.

First phase of election in West Bengal for 30 assembly seats concluded today with few incidents of clashes and complaints regarding EVM machines from various polling-stations. A total of 191 candidates are in the fray for the first-phase.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

In the new audio-file, TMC alleged that Mukul Roy was telling Shishir Bajoria that they must approach the EC asking for changes in rules so that others are allowed to be booth agents and not just in localities or else BJP would not be able to give agents in a large section of booths.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

Shishir Bajoria is a politician, industrialist, and the head of S K Bajoria Group, an Indian multinational with an annual turnover of US$300 million. He is the promoter of the S K Bajoria Group based at Kolkata, which is engaged in diversified activities including the manufacture of specialized refractories for the steel industry, insurance broking, and third-party administration for health insurance. He joined the BJP in August 2014, and is a leader of the BJP in West Bengal. He has been named in connection with the Panama papers.

Also Read: More disclosures on FinCEN report

It remains to be seen how far the audio-clip war tumbles down in the heated battleground of West Bengal election.

The election in West Bengal is scheduled to be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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Banerjee goes Bahubali-mode- “Confront BJP-hired goons with ladle, spatula,” Mamata asks women in rallies

Banerjee goes Bahubali-mode

CM Mamata Banerjee went all guns blazing against the BJP on the first day of the state assembly polls.

First phase of election in West Bengal for 30 assembly seats concluded today with few incidents of clashes and complaints regarding EVM machines from various polling-stations. A total of 191 candidates are in the fray for the first-phase.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

The CM alleged that BJP was bringing in goons from outside West Bengal to stop people from exercising their franchise in Bengal. She urged the women to “confront the hoodlums brought in by BJP with ladle, spatula and other cooking utensils”.

Narayangarh and Pingla saw two rallies led by CM Banerjee. She termed the turncoat Suvendu Adhikari and his family as “traitors”. She further claimed that one member of the household was seen distributing money among people on Friday night, hours before 30 Assembly constituencies of the state went to polls.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

CM Banerjee said, “Yesterday, one of the Adhikari brothers was seen distributing money. Women in the area caught him red-handed and asked the police to arrest him. They also handed over 30 goons, all hired from outside, to the police.”

On Saturday a clash broke out between activists of the BJP and the TMC in Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram constituency, which is set to go to polls on April 01, leaving at least three people seriously injured.

This year’s election in West Bengal is scheduled to be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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Controversy erupts over a video file purportedly showing Mamata seeking help from BJP leader-suspicion of video-doctoring

mamta vs suvendu

The first phase of election in West Bengal for 30 assembly seats concluded today with few incidents of clashes and complaints regarding EVM machines from various polling-stations. A total of 191 candidates are in the fray for the first-phase.

In the heated theatre of the ongoing West Bengal election, a controversy erupted when a video clip was released by the BJP, in which CM Mamata Banerjee is seen cajoling a local leader from Nandigram to help her win the seat against her former protégé Suvendu Adhikari.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

A BJP delegation, led by party general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya, met the state’s chief electoral officer and handed over the tape, claiming that Banerjee was using her official position to influence the outcome of the bitterly-contested high-pitched assembly poll.

Many people suspect that the video was doctored and that it was released to impact the voter sentiments on the very first day of polling. A source in Hooghly, on the condition of anonymity, asserted that the accent and the tone of the recorded speech make it clear that it was not Mamata’s speech.

The election in West Bengal is scheduled to be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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Bengal election phase-I: Voter turnout at 79.79%: Bankura at 80.03%, Jhargram at 80.55% & Purbo Medinipur led with 82.42%

Bengal election phase-I

The first phase of election in West Bengal concluded today with few incidents of clashes and complaints regarding EVM machines from various polling-stations. A total of 191 candidates are in the fray in the recently concluded first-phase of  Bengal polls.

A total voter turnout of 79.79% was recorded in the first phase of the election upto 6:05 pm on March 27, 2021.

Purbo-Medinipur led in the voter turnout with 82.42%. The respective turnouts for Bankura, Jhargram, & Purulia were at 80.03%, 80.55%, & 77.13%. There were complaints regarding EVM malfunctioning from polling stations in Paschim Medinipur.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

A delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders met the Election Commission of India on Saturday afternoon after it raised concerns over the voting percentage on the poll body’s mobile application.

“What is happening @ECISVEEP?! Could you explain how voting percentage drastically reduced to half within a gap of just 5 minutes?! Shocking! @CEOWestBengal, please look into this urgently!” the TMC tweeted along with two screenshots of the Election Commission’s voter turnout app. According to the pictures, the voter turnout in assembly seats in the Purbo Medinipur district had dropped by over 10% in five minutes.

In West Bengal, the election is scheduled to be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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Assets & Wealth of Mamata Banerjee have plummeted over the last five years (2016-2021) by 45 %

mamta

The first phase of West Bengal election 2021 began today. In this regard, it is worthwhile to take a look at the picture of the changing levels of wealth of various leaders from parties like TMC and BJP that are contesting the election.

In the last five years, the personal wealth & assets of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shrunk by about 45 percent. Out of the 20 MLAs who won the last assembly elections and were re-elected in the second round, only three have less property than they had before. Out of these three, Chief Minister Banerjee is again in the first place on the basis of plummeting level of property & wealth as a percentage value.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

The affidavit that CM-Banerjee had submitted when she was a candidate from Bhabanipur Centre in the 2016 assembly election showed that the total amount of assets including movable and immovable categories was 30 lakh 45 thousand rupees. For the ongoing election, where she is contesting from Nandigram Assembly constituency, the affidavit submitted by CM Banerjee, shows her total assets at Rs 16 lakh 72 thousand. As compared to five years ago, her wealth has decreased by 13 lakh 72 thousand rupees.

Also See: What are the problem areas of TMC and the chances of BJP in this election season in West Bengal

The report released by the voluntary organization West Bengal Election Watch analyzing the affidavits of the candidates for the second round of elections has mentioned that the Chief Minister’s wealth & resources have decreased. Mamata Bhuiyan, a Trinamool MLA from Daspur, follows the Chief Minister in terms of percentage of wealth-reduction. Her wealth has decreased by 37 percent. The wealth of Sukumar Dey, Trinamool MLA from Nandakumar, has decreased by 36 percent.

According to the report, the wealth & assets of the remaining 17 MLAs who have become candidates in the second round of voting have increased. The wealth of the chief minister’s main rival in Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari has increased by about 68 percent. According to his affidavit for the 2016 assembly election, his total assets were at 62 lakh 60 thousand rupees. It has increased and surged to 1 crore 5 lakh 52 thousand rupees.

Some have even boomed up their wealth in a three-four digit figure of percentage in five years. CPM MLA from Panskura East, Sheikh Ibrahim Ali’s wealth has increased by 2141 percent. His total assets mentioned in the affidavit for the 2016 election were at around Rs 49,000. That has increased to 10 lakh 64 thousand rupees prior to this year’s election. Wealth of CPM’s Sonamukhi MLA has increased by 642 percent. According to the affidavit submitted for the 2016 election, his total assets were 1 lakh 24 thousand rupees, which has increased to 8 lakh 1 thousand rupees.

Candidates are required to separately state in their affidavits the amount of assets of their spouse and two dependents in addition to their own details. This report of WB Election Watch has revealed the total amount of assets of the candidates. Dr. Ujjwaini Halim, is the State coordinator of the West Bengal Election Watch, which brought out this analytical insight into the increase and contraction of assets of various MLAs in the state.

According to the report of the organization, BJP MLA Bharti Ghosh of Debra has the highest amount of wealth among the candidates for the second round of polling. The total assets of the former police officer are at Rs 19 crore 21 lakh. Kakdwip’s BJP candidate Dipankar Jana is in second place. His total assets stand at Rs 14 crore 41 lakh rupees. He is in the first place in terms of annual income (2 crore 18 lakh rupees). In terms of wealth, Aroop Chakraborty, the Trinamool candidate from Taldangra, is in third place ( Rs 8 crore 82 lakh). He is in second place in terms of income.

Actor Soham Chakraborty, Chandipur’s Trinamool candidate, is in third place in terms of income. Nirmal Dhara, the BJP candidate from Indus, is in the third position in terms of lower wealth. His total wealth is only 1700 rupees. Out of the total 171 candidates in the second phase, 26 can be technically called Crorepatis in terms of assets, with 11 of them in Trinamool and 10 in BJP.

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End of the campaign for the first phase of Bengal election for 30 assembly seats

Bengal election

At 5 pm, yesterday (Thursday) the curtains came down on the high decibel campaign in 30 assembly seats in West Bengal where polls are scheduled in the first phase on March 27.

The campaign for the 30 seats saw leaders of BJP, which has emerged as the main opposition to the ruling party in the state Trinamool Congress, addressing poll rallies in Purulia, Jhargram, and Bankura districts.

In one of the rallies of BJP, state party president Dilip Ghosh had made an indecent comment on Mamata Banerjee about her injury and her wearing saree.

Also See: Battle for Bengal gets pithier as election days getting closer

The 30 seats on which the first phase of West Bengal elections would take place are spread across tribal-dominated (Jangalmahal) Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Purba Medinipur (Part 1) and Paschim Medinipur (Part 1) districts which were once considered the citadel of the Left in the state.

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Mithun Chakraborty who called himself a pure cobra at Brigade rally is missing from candidate-list of BJP

Mithun Chakraborty who called himself a pure cobra at Brigade rally is missing from candidate-list of BJP

Mithun Chakraborty is missing from the complete roster of the 294 candidates announced by BJP.   On Tuesday, BJP announced the final list of 13 candidates for the upcoming election in West Bengal.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

The seat of Rashbehari, many believed, was reserved for the ‘Dada’ of Bengali cinema, Mithun Chakraborty, but in that seat BJP has fielded retired Lt General Subrata Saha. Chakraborty had shared the dais with Modi at the BJP’s Brigade Parade Ground rally in Kolkata on March 7, which saw a scanty response.

Also See: Battle for Bengal gets pithier as election days getting closer

In that rally Mithun Chakraborty had said, “I am not a harmless water snake or a harmless desert snake. I am a pure cobra. With one strike, I will turn you into a photograph.” The comment had led to a rousing reception. But, his non-inclusion in the candidate-list came as a dampener. He had also recently enlisted as a voter in Cossipore-Belgachhia constituency, Kolkata, transferring his voting card from Mumbai.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

Chakraborty is scheduled to campaign in Nandigram on March 30 for Suvendu Adhikari. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to be present at that road-show.

Former Chief Economic Advisor Ashok Lahiri, fielded earlier from Alipurduar in North Bengal and then replaced, is back as candidate from Balurghat.

A key change in the list published pertains to Gaighata in North 24 Parganas district where the new candidate is Subrata Thakur. He is the brother of Shantanu Thakur, the BJP MP representing the Matua community, believed to be upset with the party for failing to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and lifting the uncertainty over their citizenship.

The schedule for the upcoming elections in India (four states and a UT) was announced on February, 26, 2021. In West Bengal, the election will be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.

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BJP announced list of 13 candidates- earlier candidates from Chowranghee & Kashipur-Belgachia seats had refused tickets

BJP announced list of 13 candidates

A list of 13 candidates was released by the BJP on Tuesday for the upcoming West Bengal election 2021. The upcoming polls in West Bengal would be a crucial fight between BJP & TMC.

Subha pradhan from Kalimpong constituency & Neeraj Tamang Zimba from Darjeeling are among the candidates whose names were announced in today’s list.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

The party tried to put ahead a strategy of placing candidates from different walks of life, as it did with Deputy Chief of Army staff, Lt General Subrata Saha by nominating him from Rashbehari seat in South Kolkata. Ashok Lahiri, the former CEA will be contesting from the Balurghat, after his candidature from Alipurduar in North Bengal, had attracted protests from the local party workers.

Also See: What are the problem areas of TMC and the chances of BJP in this election season in West Bengal

After the earlier proposed candidates refused to take tickets from the Chowranghee & Kashipur-Belgachia seats, BJP fielded new candidates from these seats. Nominations were given to Sikha Mitra, wife of former state Congress president Somen Mitra, from Chowranghee and Tarun Saha, husband of TMC MLA Mala Saha, from Kashipur- Belgachia.

Also See: Battle for Bengal gets pithier as election days getting closer

The schedule for the upcoming elections in India (four states and a UT) was announced on February, 26, 2021. In West Bengal, the election will be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.