The Bengal BJP unit has called for a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on Monday to protest against the alleged widespread rigging and attacks on opposition party members during the civic polls in the state on Sunday.
"We have called for a 12 hour bandh (strike) tomorrow. Today in municipal elections women were manhandled and hundreds of people entered booths in various locations. Democracy is being demolished here", said West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar
BJP MLA and state Mahila Morcha president Agnimitra Paul said, "We have declared Bangla Bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on Monday protesting against the election violence and rigging."
She further alleged that outsiders with firearms were brought to rig in civic polls.
"What happened today was not polling but a mockery of democracy. The state police are behaving like Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres. They have let the TMC people to rig the election. Several of our agents and candidates were beaten up also."
The bandh called by BJP has exempted essential services like healthcare, milk supply and media.
Meanwhile, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has 'called upon' State Election Commissioner Saurab Das on Monday to brief him on the civic poll's alleged violence and lawlessness.
Voting for 108 municipalities across West Bengal has begun from 7 am on Sunday. The polling will be held till 5 pm, informed the West Bengal State Election Commission. About 95 lakh (95,59,790) voters are slated to exercise their franchise to elect ward representatives and mayors that are spread across 2,276 wards over 108 municipalities.
The districts where polling is underway are Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, Purba Burdwan and Birbhum.
A clash between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers broke out during civic polls in the state on Sunday. The BJP West Bengal vice-president Arjun Singh alleged that two Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were vandalised in ward 9 and there is a similar situation across the state.
( With inputs from ANI )
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