Political clashes and charges of Trinamul kidnapping a BJP candidate and his son surfaced in Asansol on Saturday and marred the civic polls that otherwise witnessed 72 per cent voter turnout.
Hours after polling began, tension gripped ward 42 of Asansol’s Mohishila Colony when the BJP complained their candidate Madhusudan Dey and his son Subhadeep were traceless. By afternoon, the party accused Trinamul-backed goons of abducting the duo. Madhusudan’s family and party men lodged a kidnap complaint against unidentified Trinamul activists with Asansol (south) police.
“Our candidate and his son were abducted by ruling party goons to terrorise BJP voters after polling began. They are missing,” said Krishnendu Mukherjee, a BJP state secretary.
BJP candidate Adarsh Sharma of ward 15 in Asansol (North) and CPM candidate Sanjay Pramanik of ward 34 in Raniganj suffered head injuries and was hospitalised. Both their parties alleged they were beaten up by alleged Trinamul goons.
In both cases, police said they took prompt action. “We arrested four persons in connection with assault charges,” Abhishek Gupta, deputy commissioner of police (east) in Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate.
In all, 33 persons were arrested in Asansol for poll-related cases on Saturday.
Trouble started between BJP and Trinamul workers after the latter prevented BJP leader and former Asansol mayor Jitendra Tiwari from entering a polling station. Jitendra’s wife Chaitali is a BJP candidate contesting from ward 27 in Asansol.
“I am a candidate. How can they (Trinamul) stop me from visiting polling booths? They also assaulted and abused us,” said a tearful Chaitali before the media. Police later rescued them and dispersed the mob.
Trinamul alleged Jitendra was trying to enter the polling booth with armed central force security guards. “He was trying to deter voters with the help of his guards. Polling was peaceful but he and his wife were trying to disturb peace,” said V. Sivadasan, Trinamul district coordinator.
BJP MLA from Asansol (South) Agnimitra Paul could not vote as her name was not on the printed voter list.
“I enrolled my name in the voter list of my constituency recently and it is there on the online list. But the polling officer did not allow me to vote as my name was not there on the printed voter list. I am surprised,” she said, alleging the local police did not allow her to visit local polling stations in her constituency. “I am virtually confined at home.
Police did not allow me to visit polling booths in my ward citing the possibility of trouble,” she said.
Four policemen, including assistant commissioner of police (Durgapur) Dhrubajyoti Mukherjee, were injured in a brickbat while trying to stop booth capturing.
Police said Ajay Prasad, an Independent candidate in ward 47, and his supporters, were trying to rig the polls. “We immediately intervened and they hurled bricks at us,” said Mukherjee.
CPM district secretary Gauranga Chatterjee said armed goons patronised by Trinamul had been roaming the corporation area freely since Friday night to terrorise voters.
