Bypolls: About 64% voter turnout in Asansol, over 41% in Ballygunge

Kolkata: Barring minor incidents, the polling for Asansol Lok Sabha constituency and Ballygunge Assembly seat, where by-elections were held on Tuesday, went off peacefully, with over 52 per cent of eligible voters casting their votes till 5 pm.

The Asansol Lok Sabha seat saw 64.03 per cent polling, while the prestigious Ballygunge Assembly constituency in South Kolkata, witnessed a lower of about 41.10 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm, an official said.

Partha Chatterjee, Trinamool Congress (TMC) secretary-general thanked the people who went to the polling stations to exercise their franchise by braving the hot and humid weather.

He said the ECI had announced by-elections at a time when many Muslims are observing fast during the Ramadan month and there are other festivals in Bengal and the weather is very hot and humid.

Commenting on the poor turnout of voters in Ballygunge, Firhad Hakim who along with Chandrima Bhattacharya and Joy Prakash Mazumdar shared the dais with party's secretary-general said generally the poll percentage is less in the by-elections which otherwise does not have the same excitement as the Assembly election.

It has been seen that the residents of high-rise apartments that fall under the Ballygunge Assembly constituency do not come out to exercise their franchise. He said the hot and humid climate and as many Muslims are keeping fast during Ramadan had also contributed to the poor turnout of voters. However, Hakim and Chatterjee both said that Trinamool Congress candidates will win both the seats.

The by-election in Ballygunge became necessary following the death of the MLA Subrata Mukherjee. Asansol Lok Sabha seat fell vacant when Babul Supriyo, BJP MP resigned and joined Trinamool Congress.

Babul Supriyo and Shatrughan Sinha were TMC nominees in the Ballygunge Assembly seat and Asansol Lok Sabha seat. Agnimitra Paul, BJP MLA from Asansol South was the candidate for Asansol Lok Sabha seat and Keya Ghosh was the BJP candidate from Ballygunge Assembly seat. Saira Shah Halim and Partha Mukherjee were CPI(M) candidates in the Ballygunge Assembly seat and Asansol Lok Sabha seat respectively.

Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that in some booths in Ballygunge and Asansol, CRPF jawans did not allow the voters carrying cell phones to enter the polling stations. However, the matter got settled following the intervention of the presiding officers. Due to the confusion polling was affected from half an hour to one hour.

Babul Supriyo, Trinamool candidate was not allowed to enter a polling booth at South Point Junior School at Mandeville Gardens by the CRPF jawans after they failed to recognise the candidate on Tuesday morning.

Babul later said it was really amazing that the CRPF jawans who had come to the city some days ago did not have photographs of the candidates.

They alleged that in some booths the CRPF jawans told the people to vote for the BJP candidate.

The police stopped Jitendra Tiwari to enter a polling station in Barabani with 10 cars. TMC leaders alleged that Agnimitra Paul had visited different areas with her convoy of 20 cars.

Paul alleged that in different areas under the Asansol Lok Sabha seat police had acted as "Trinamool agents".

The organisational weakness of BJP and CPI(M) was evident in the by-elections in both Asansol and Ballygunge. The camp offices of both the parties looked deserted in the afternoon. The result of the by-election will be announced on April 16.