As violence, booth capturing and rigging continues to mar West Bengal this election season, it is being reported that Bharati Ghosh, BJP’s candidate from West Bengal’s Ghatal constituency, has been attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres, as Ghatal votes today in phase 6 of the Lok Sabha elections. Her convoy was vandalised in Midnapore’s Keshpur. Two out of her six personal security guards were also injured in the incident.
Cars of several journalists have also been attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress men. They were heading towards a booth from where reports of rigging came in.
Ghatal, West Bengal: BJP’s Bharati Ghosh’s vehicle vandalised.
Report by @SreyashiDey | #May23WithTimesNow pic.twitter.com/qxkvV0rtYk
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) May 12, 2019
Also, the BJP candidate, today morning alleged that she was pushed and jeered by some women supporters of the Trinamool Congress when she went to a polling station in her constituency. She accused TMC leader Soumen Mohapatra of stopping BJP’s polling agent from sitting inside the polling booth in Chandkhali area of Keshpur in West Medinipur district.
“I am the candidate. I am being pushed around and heckled. Those assaulting me and preventing my polling agent to enter the booth should be arrested,” said Ghosh.
Disturbed by the entire episode Bharati Ghosh furthered, “TMC supporters pushed me to the ground. They are not allowing any polling to be held in Keshpur area. These women were hired by the TMC. I shall complain in writing to the ECI (Election Commission of India).”
Polling is being held in Ghatal along with seven other Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the sixth round of the seven-phased election on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the women who were hired by the Trinamool and confessed being TMC supporters to the local news channel formed a human chain to bar Bharati from entering the booth.
“Local (state) police are mere spectators. They are not calling women cops either,” alleged Ghosh.
The central force personnel deployed around the polling station told local channels that they are helpless and cannot interfere since there are no women officials present and those trying to block Ghosh were all women.
After 45 minutes of unsuccessful struggling to get her agent inside the booth, Ghosh left the area alleging that the incident was a part of the conspiracy by the TMC men to keep her confined to a particular spot.
Bharati Ghosh is taking on Bengali actor-turned-lawmaker Deepak (Dev) Adhikari of the Trinamool Congress in Ghatal.
Meanwhile, Bharati Ghosh, who was once considered a very close aide of Mamata Banerjee was the first IPS officer to resign from service in Mamata’s regime. She resigned in protest against the state government.
She had last year made shocking revelations about West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleging that Banerjee “transfers officers if BJP gains ground” and that Ghosh was shunted out due to the rise of BJP in Sabang by-elections held in 2017.
