TMC-backed BLOs protest voter list 'manipulation', scuffle with police before CEO's office
Protests intensify after allegations of misuse of Form 6
Tension prevailed outside the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office here on Tuesday after a confrontation broke out between Trinamool Congress-backed booth-level officers (BLOs) and the police over allegations of voter list manipulation.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had earlier in the day visited the office of the CEO to lodge a complaint against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of instigating unrest, a senior police officer said.
Shortly after his departure, the situation escalated when protests erupted over the alleged misuse of Form 6 for voter registration, he added.
According to the allegations, Form 6 was being used to enrol voters from NDA-ruled states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh into West Bengal’s electoral rolls.
Police intervened to control the crowd, leading to a scuffle between personnel and protesters.
“We stepped in to maintain law and order as the situation was getting out of hand. Minimal force was used to disperse the gathering,” a senior police officer present at the scene said.
Earlier in the day, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside West Bengal in this state’s electoral rolls in bulk by means of Form 6 applications.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had alleged on Monday that nearly 30,000 Form 6s were submitted by the BJP in a single day to register residents of other states as voters in West Bengal.
The protesters on Tuesday also claimed that BJP supporters had attacked them during the unrest.
“Our members were provoked and assaulted. We demand a fair inquiry into the incident,” a representative of the protesting group said.
The situation remained tense for some time before additional forces were deployed outside the CEO’s new office on Strand Road to bring it under control. Authorities are closely monitoring developments to prevent further escalation, police said.
