In what can be interpreted as a setback to TMC, their Birbhum district president in West Bengal will be kept under strict EC watch when the fourth phase of polling is taking place in West Bengal.
In what can be interpreted as a setback to TMC, their Birbhum district president in West Bengal is being kept under strict EC watch during the fourth phase of polling in West Bengal.
Anubrata Mondal's wife is a cancer patient. Terming it an inhuman decision, TMC appealed to Calcutta HC. However, judge Debangshu Basak ruled that in order to ensure peaceful polling in Birbhum, EC has taken the decision and it is valid. TMC had raised a technical point about why the EC order was emailed and not a written letter was sent.
Two seats in Birbhum district which are Birbhum and Bolpur are voting currently. TMC won both the seats last election and it is credited largely to Anubrata Mondal who is known to be a master in election management. Under him, TMC workers often distribute Nakuldana ( a special type of Bengali sweet) during campaigning. He also frequently says that water and Nakuldana have reached the right place, which the opposition believes is a codeword for TMC cadres being placed in strategic locations for voting manipulation.
The Election Commission has put under close watch controversial Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal on the eve of polling in Birbhum district, a senior official of the Commission said Sunday.
The decision was made after the Commission received representations from poll workers saying they are feeling "threatened" if Mondal, TMC Birbhum district president, keep moving from one booth to the other on the polling day, he said.EC officials and personnel of the central force will be with Mondal till Tuesday and his mobile phones will be monitored, he said.
When contacted , Mondal said the EC move followed the "direction of the BJP" and he would be at the party office throughout the polling process on Monday "I do not roam around on election days. I remain in my party office and there will be no difference tomorrow. The Commission has taken this step at the behest of the BJP. The BJP has got scared and that is why they are doing this," Mondal said on Sunday.
Mondal also told Zee 24 Ghanta that Nakuldana has reached the right place and he has nothing to worry about. According to Mondal, his work is done and now he can afford to rest. EC will be monitoring his movement with a deputy Magistrate accompanying him. He will not be allowed to use mobile phone and he can only enter the booth where he is supposed to vote.
Mondal however said that he can use the mobile phone of any public, and there is no restrictions about it.
On Monday, Mondal casted his vote and said he will not follow EC's diktat. Anubrata Mondal also said that Nakuldana is being provided in ample amount.
1. Police outside BJP office in Birbhum
)
BJP workers have alleged that TMC cadres have ransacked their offices and tore their flags. Anubrata Mondal and other leaders have denied all such allegations. According to Mondal, BJP is just orchestrating such attacks to grab attention.
2. Anubrata's controversial past
)
Mondal is known for courting controversies and the Commission had also put him under 24-hour surveillance ahead of the 2016 assembly election in the district.
In July 2013, he had asked his supporters at a public meeting in Birbhum to hurl bombs at the police and burn down houses of rebel TMC candidates in panchayat elections.
In September last year, he was caught on camera purportedly instructing his TMC workers to get a party rebel and a woman BJP leader arrested on a false case of possessing cannabis.
3. Satabdi Roy contesting from Birbhum
)
Filmstar turned TMC MP Satabdi Roy is seeking re- election from the Birbhum seat. BJP's Dudh Kumar Mondal, Congress Imam Hossain and fielded Rezaul Karim of the Congress are also in the fray.
In the Bolpur (SC) seat, the four major contestants are TMC's Asit Kumar Mal, BJPs Ramprasad Das, Ramchandra Dome of the CPI(M) and Abhijit Saha of the Congress.
Anubrata Mondal is confident that TMC will win both sides with a margin of over 3-4 lakh. BJP's Dudh Kumar Mondal shot into fame by matching Anubrata's tactics in the past. Hence, some amount of tension in today's polling can't be ruled out.
