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Panja accuses CPI-M minister of carrying fake voters
Kolkata, June 08: The suspended Trinamool Congress leader Ajit Panja, whose daughter contested the Vidyasagar assembly by-poll as a Congress candidate, today accused the CPI-M leader and West Bengal minister, Md Salim, of seeking the help of `anti- socials and false voters to terrorise genuine electorate`.
Kolkata, June 08: The suspended Trinamool Congress leader Ajit Panja, whose daughter contested the Vidyasagar assembly by-poll as a Congress candidate, today accused the CPI-M leader and West Bengal minister, Md Salim, of seeking the help of "anti- socials and false voters to terrorise genuine electorate".
"CPI-M leader and state minister Md Salim carried a number of anti-socials along with him in government vehicles during the polls. They forced the voters, particularly those belonging to the minority community, to surrender their voter identity cards and ration cards to facilitate false voting by outsiders," Panja told newspersons.
"The minister should have been arrested", Panja said, adding "there is no ministerial immunity under the election rules against carrying false voters, anti-socials during the polls. We informed the police. A large number of false voters were identified in one single booth, but none was arrested".
Panja's daughter, Mahua Mandal, contested the seat, which falls under his Kolkata Northeast constituency, as a Congress candidate against nominees of the CPI-M and TC-supported BJP.
He further alleged that besides large-scale rigging in a particular ward, "those anti-socials also exploded bombs in front of polling booths to scare congress supporters".
"They also attacked the vehicle of Mahua Mondal, but she escaped unhurt," Panja said.
Asked about the possibility of his joining the Congress after the polls, the former Union minister said "a decision may be taken after getting the election results".
Bureau Report
"The minister should have been arrested", Panja said, adding "there is no ministerial immunity under the election rules against carrying false voters, anti-socials during the polls. We informed the police. A large number of false voters were identified in one single booth, but none was arrested".
Panja's daughter, Mahua Mandal, contested the seat, which falls under his Kolkata Northeast constituency, as a Congress candidate against nominees of the CPI-M and TC-supported BJP.
He further alleged that besides large-scale rigging in a particular ward, "those anti-socials also exploded bombs in front of polling booths to scare congress supporters".
"They also attacked the vehicle of Mahua Mondal, but she escaped unhurt," Panja said.
Asked about the possibility of his joining the Congress after the polls, the former Union minister said "a decision may be taken after getting the election results".
Bureau Report