New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation met the Election Commission of India to submit a petition alleging large-scale electoral malpractices and intimidation in West Bengal.
The delegation included Union Minister Piyush Goyal, BJP media in-charge Anil Baluni, and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar, among other leaders.
Speaking after the meeting, Rijiju alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was attempting to “hijack elections” in the state and deprive people of their democratic right to vote.
“A BJP delegation has come to meet the Election Commission. We have submitted a very important petition. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have hijacked the elections, completely taken over democracy, and deprived people of their right to vote,” Rijiju said.
He further alleged that the party had raised concerns over “hooliganism” and coercive tactics being used during the electoral process. “The BJP delegation has gone to the Election Commission regarding the hooliganism of the TMC government in West Bengal, including intimidation, forcing voters, and creating an atmosphere of fear,” he added.
According to the petition submitted to the poll panel, the BJP accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of repeated violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and provisions of electoral and criminal law. The memorandum alleged that a series of public statements made by Banerjee during election rallies in North Bengal indicated a pattern of provocation, voter intimidation, and implicit incitement to violence.
The BJP cited specific instances, including remarks allegedly made on March 25 at a rally in Mainaguri, where Banerjee reportedly suggested that citizens would be compelled to display posters outside their homes declaring they do not support the BJP. The party termed such statements as a threat to freedom of political expression and voter autonomy.
The petition also referred to speeches in Naxalbari and Pandaveswar, where Banerjee allegedly urged people to “come out with whatever they have at home” in response to perceived pressure during polling and counting days, raising concerns about potential incitement.
Additionally, the BJP flagged a reported incident in Basanti where its workers were allegedly attacked during campaigning, claiming that such incidents were a result of an “emboldened atmosphere” created by the Chief Minister’s statements. The party also accused the state police of inaction during the episode.
The memorandum further pointed to remarks by Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, alleging that they could foster divisions on linguistic and regional lines, thereby violating provisions related to maintaining communal harmony.
Citing provisions under the Model Code of Conduct, the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the BJP urged the Election Commission to take urgent and firm action to ensure free and fair elections in the state.
The party maintained that the cumulative effect of these developments has created an atmosphere of fear, coercion, and violence, which could undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
–IANS
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