BJP's Dilip Ghosh voiced doubts over fair elections in Kaliachak, citing law and order problems. In response, CM Mamata Banerjee alleged a BJP conspiracy to add fraudulent voters to electoral rolls, urging the ECI to intervene.
Ghosh raises concerns over fair elections in Kaliachak
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Kharagpur Sadar, Dilip Ghosh, on Thursday expressed doubts over the possibility of holding free and fair elections in Kaliachak, stating that "the place also has problems with law and order." BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, while talking to the reporters, said, "Did Mamata Banerjee or her family fight for independence? Whoever did, it is history. There was no BJP, there was RSS, who fought... This is not the first incident of Kaliachak. Earlier too, a police station was torched there... There's the Bangladesh border just 5-10 km away from where intruders come... The place also has problems with law and order... There's a lot of anti-social and anti-national activities going on there with the support of TMC... We have to act on it, or else it would be difficult to conduct elections there."
Mamata alleges BJP conspiracy to add fraudulent voters
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging a conspiracy to undermine democratic rights in the state ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. "I have written to the Chief Election Commissioner, raising a serious alarm over the grave conspiracy being orchestrated against the democratic rights of the people of Bengal. BJP agents have been caught red-handed flooding the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, with thousands of fraudulent Form 6 applications to smuggle non-residents and outsiders into Bengal's electoral rolls. This is an attempt at voter hijacking, the same dirty game the BJP successfully played in Maharashtra and Delhi," she said in a post on X.
She further demanded action from the Election Commission of India, saying, "I have demanded that the ECI immediately stop this undemocratic exercise, strictly follow the Hon'ble Supreme Court's directions, and ensure that no fake voters are added after the final electoral roll was published on 28.02.2026. Bengal will not allow its democracy to be stolen in broad daylight. The people of Bengal are watching."
In the letter, the Chief Minister stated, "We are now witnessing what appears to be another coordinated attempt by the BJP, in conjunction with the ECI, to interfere with the democratic rights of the people. Credible reports indicate that large numbers of Form 6 applications are being submitted by BJP agents at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and across several districts. These do not seem to be routine applications for voter inclusion but a mischievous ploy to include non-residents in the electoral roll."
"There are serious concerns that these applications may pertain to individuals who are not genuine residents of Bengal and have no legitimate connection to the state. Similar patterns were reportedly observed prior to elections in Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi," reads the letter.
TMC chief accuses BJP of inciting riots
Earlier on Sunday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack against the BJP in the run-up to the 2026 state elections, accusing the opposition party of inciting riots. Addressing a public gathering in Purulia, CM Mamata claimed that the public will be unable to consume non-vegetarian food if the BJP is voted to power. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)