BJP accused of violating MCC

BALURGHAT: BJP’s model train continued its journey through the streets of Balurghat despite the end of the election campaign period after 6 pm on Wednesday. Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists halted the train at Balurghat’s Raghunathpur around 8 pm on Wednesday and followed it with a complaint with the Election Commission.

Election officials responded to the complaint and removed all BJP flags and festoons from the train before allowing it to proceed. TMC alleged that the BJP had violated Election Commission rules by allowing the train to operate beyond the campaign period. BJP maintained that the train was purely symbolic and was returning to Balurghat from Fulbari, as campaigning had halted after the designated time frame. BJP is planning to lodge a counter-complain against TMC for allegedly continuing its campaign in various districts after the campaign period ended.

In another incident preceding the polls, a significant quantity of sarees and lungis were found in a car during naka checking at Pirojpur in Kumarganj at around 8 pm on Wednesday. A person named Dilip Pandit, believed to be a BJP worker, was found fleeing during the search. The driver, Bikash Mondal, was arrested. Preliminary investigations suggest that the items were collected from the BJP office in Kumarganj and were en route to Balurghat.

TMC’s Kumarganj Block president, Ujjal Basak, accused the BJP of distributing sarees and lungis to voters before the polls, urging a thorough investigation.