Unrest in Dabgram-Fulbari over BJP MLA’s visits

Siliguri: Chaos erupted in three different areas of the Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly constituency revolving around BJP MLA Shikha Chatterjee’s visit to polling stations on Friday.

Allegations and counter-allegations were traded between the TMC and BJP. Chatterjee faced “go back” slogans when she entered a booth in her Assembly constituency which in turn was escalating into a scuffle. She left to return after some time with a large number of BJP supporters. There was a face-off with BJP chanting “Jai Sri Ram” and TMC supporters replying with “Jai Bangla” slogans. Police blocked the MLA from entering the booth in Ward number 33. A large police force and election commission officials also tried to detain the MLA.

BJP workers had an altercation with the police. The MLA somehow left the area.

TMC leader Gautam Deb alleged that the MLA had violated MCC therefore, the police stopped her. “Since morning, the MLA has been visiting different polling stations. She was provoking voters by standing within 100 meters of polling stations. Therefore, we have filed a complaint against her with the election commission, providing photos and videos as evidence,” said Deb.

“I knew the guidelines; therefore, I did not go to any polling stations and have been sitting at the control room of TMC since morning,” he added.

Chatterjee first visited the West Dhantala area, where people blocked her path and called her an outsider. Later that evening, she visited Tileswari Adhikary High School in Ward number 40, alleging that the TMC had captured the booth and that the TMC councillor had entered the polling station.

Meanwhile, a man named Gobinda Roy, a resident of Ward number 34, found his name was marked as dead when he went to cast his vote.

The incident happened at booth number 236 in Balmiki Vidyapith ground. He said: “Today, I went to cast my vote, the election worker said my name was marked dead. Consequently, my name was not on the voter list.”