On April 28, the day before the second stage of voting in West Bengal on April 29, Adhikari said a TMC councillor got hundreds of these artificial fingers to be used for fake voting in Bhabanipur. His accusation, made in Kolkata on Tuesday, was strongly denied by the TMC, and it increased the importance of the election in this closely watched area.
Adhikari, a leading member of the BJP who is running against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, says the councillor bought over 700 of these things. He believes this was a plan to unfairly influence the voting and ruin the fairness of the election in the area.
Adhikari’s allegations and claimed evidence
Speaking to the press, Adhikari said ‘over 700 of these fake fingers have been obtained’ and said this as a warning that any attempt to cheat in the election will be fought against.
He also said that 3,810 voter information slips given out by the people in charge of lists of voters in Bhabanipur were returned because they couldn’t be delivered. He says the names of these voters have been noted, and the people living there are determined to vote for a change in government.
Adhikari says he gave the Election Commission a ‘sample’ as proof of what he’s saying. He didn’t give any more details publicly, but said the issue needs to be looked at right away before people vote.
TMC response and denial
The TMC says the claim is without any basis. Arup Chakraborty, a spokesperson for the party, called the accusations ‘totally untrue’ and asked how something like that could happen in a democracy.
Chakraborty said these kinds of things are not done and are not possible, and said there is nothing to say other than denying the claims. The party has not said they will investigate the councillor Adhikari mentioned.
Key statements made on Tuesday:
– Adhikari alleged over 700 artificial fingers were procured
– He said a sample was sent to the Election Commission
– TMC called the allegations completely unfounded
– Chakraborty said such practices are not possible in democracy
Bhabanipur’s stakes and election schedule
Bhabanipur is one of the most closely watched places to vote in the state, as Adhikari is directly competing with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This competition has brought national attention to what is, at heart, a local election.
The first part of the voting for the 294 seats in the state assembly was on April 23. The second part is on April 29, and votes will be counted on May 4. This is the immediate schedule for all the claims and counter-claims from the political parties.
Undelivered slips and voter lists
Adhikari stressing the 3,810 undelivered voter slips suggests there are possibly many voters who didn’t get official notification. He says their names are known.
He states the people of Bhabanipur ‘are ready for a change’ and will show this in how they vote. The opposition’s main message is to be careful and get people to vote, because of claims of cheating.
Why the allegations matter now
The fact that these claims are being made just hours before the second phase of voting makes them politically important at this time. By saying there is a plan to allow illegal voting, the opposition wants to make the ruling party defend itself.
The TMC completely denying the claims leads to a direct argument between what the two sides are saying. Since both sides are sticking to their story, whether the Election Commission will respond to Adhikari’s sample could decide who is believed.
What to watch as polling begins
This argument puts Bhabanipur under more attention. How many people vote, whether the correct procedures are followed, and how any complaints are handled will all be carefully observed in this area.
Adhikari promises he will not allow these things to happen, and the TMC says the claims are false. As voting starts on April t9, both parties will try to make sure their supporters have faith in them, while also arguing against what the other side is saying.
We might not see the effects of this exchange immediately. With the votes being counted on May 4, the political consequences of Tuesday’s claims and denials will become clear in the following days, as things happen in Bhabanipur and the rest of the state.
