TMC leader Shashi Panja alleged that security personnel tried to 'humiliate' her by briefly barring her from a strongroom in Kolkata. She claimed they 'don't know the rules' and also flagged the lack of CCTVs where postal ballots were kept.
Claiming that the security personnel deployed in West Bengal "don't know the rules" and are trying to "humiliate us every day," Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Shyampukur candidate Shashi Panja said on Saturday that she was briefly barred from entering the strongroom despite rules permitting candidates to inspect the place. The TMC leader visited the Netaji Indoor stadium strongroom today, where she said that security officials at first did not allow her inside, saying that people who are already in will have to come out first. She said that only after clarification from the police was she allowed to enter. "Security personnel deployed outside don't even know that the candidate can go in (strong room). They told me that I will be allowed to go in once one of the two people who have gone inside comes out. Then the Police intervened to tell them that the candidate is allowed...They don't know the rule and humiliate us every day," Panja told ANI.
Lack of CCTV, postal ballot issues flagged
She also flagged the lack of CCTVs in the Netaji Indoor Stadium strongroom, claiming that the officials have told her that the cameras will be installed "shortly." "There is no use in going to the strong room now because the postal ballot trunks belonging to 7 Assembly constituencies in North Kolkata came at 4 am today. But there was no representative of a political party here. It has been kept in a room which has no CCTV. When we inquired, we were told that CCTV will be installed shortly," she said. She claimed that she waited for a long while at the strongroom to see when the CCTV would be installed, but did not see the security arrangements in place.
Both TMC, BJP allege strongroom irregularities
Earlier today, the TMC had filed an official complaint against the Returning Officer at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, another strongroom. The AITC claims that "unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers" occurred. However, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AITC have claimed irregularities in the security of the strong room, alleging that it was opened without authorisation. The Trinamool Congress had organised a sit-in near the centre after alleging unauthorised access to the strong room.
Repolling ordered in other constituencies
Meanwhile, 15 polling stations across the Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour constituencies in the South 24 Parganas district started voting early on Saturday. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had ordered repolling following certain irregularities. (ANI)
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