TMC calls for 'recounting' in Nandigram
Kolkata: The confusion over the declaration of the winning candidate in the Nandigram Assembly constituency existed throughout the day with a Trinamool Congress delegation approaching state CEO Aariz Aftab demanding recounting of votes. The ruling party alleged that certain preposterous and illegal things have happened during the counting of votes in Nandigram.
In the letter, it was alleged that false votes were counted in favour of BJP and valid TMC votes were wrongfully rejected. "The candidate Ms Mamata Banerjee has sought for recounting of votes before the Returning Officer, Nandigram Ac but such recounting has been refused for reasons unknown. Such refusal is bad in law and colour," the letter said.
The Returning Officer later in the evening had declared that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram in East Midnapore by a margin of 1,736 votes.
The TMC delegation comprising Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien and leaders Firhad Hakim, Kalyan Banerjee and Atin Ghosh who met the CEO said tampering of the EVM took place. The Trinamool, however, has not accepted the verdict yet, claiming that the counting is still on.
Mamata Banerjee said: "The Election Commission worked as a spokesperson of the BJP and now see what they are doing. Three hours back, it said something and now it is saying something else. Let Nandigram give its verdict, I shall accept that. I shall go to the court".
She added that EVMs have been tampered with. "The server was down for four hours. How come everywhere we are winning and we lost there only," Banerjee said.
Adhikari in a tweet congratulated the people of Nandigram for victory. In his tweet he wrote, "My sincere thanks to the great People of Nandigram for their love, trust, blessings, and support, and for choosing me as their representative and the MLA from #Nandigram. It is my never-ending commitment to be of service to them and working for their welfare. I am truly grateful!"
TMC supporters allegedly pelted stone on Suvendu Adhikari's convoy in Haldia in the night when he visited the counting centre.
Sources in the Commission said they had communicated the entire sequence of events to the Election Commission of India who will take the final decision.
