The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the recent elections in West Bengal were severely compromised due to widespread intimidation, violence, and police bias favoring the state’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC). A central team of the BJP, led by Biplab Kumar Deb, Member of Parliament from West Tripura parliamentary constituency and former Chief Minister of Tripura, submitted a fact-finding report to party chief J.P. Nadda in New Delhi on Friday.
The committee, formed to investigate the alleged post-poll violence in the state during the Lok Sabha elections, comprised four BJP MPs: Biplab Kumar Deb, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Brij Lal, and Kavita Patidar. Their report claims that “goons” affiliated with the TMC engaged in open intimidation, threats, and attacks on individuals opposing the party, thus hampering free and fair elections.
In their detailed report, the panel alleged that the police in West Bengal acted as an extension of the TMC, thereby compromising the integrity of the electoral process. According to the BJP committee, the violence and intimidation tactics employed by the TMC created an environment of fear and coercion that prevented many from exercising their democratic rights freely.
Biplab Kumar Deb shared an update on the submission of the report through a social media post, where he also criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He accused her of utilizing the government machinery to undermine the constitution and democracy, thereby creating a “dark chapter of political vengeance.” Deb asserted that the abuse of power against political opponents has become a norm in West Bengal elections, with the police and administration allegedly collaborating with the TMC to support their actions.
The report from the BJP panel follows the outcome of the recent Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, where the TMC won 29 out of the 42 seats, significantly reducing the BJP’s tally from 18 seats in the 2019 general elections to 12 seats. Despite the TMC’s electoral success, the BJP’s allegations point to serious concerns about the fairness and integrity of the electoral process in the state.
The allegations and the findings of the BJP’s fact-finding team are likely to escalate the political tensions between the BJP and the TMC, with calls for further investigations and potential actions to address the claimed irregularities and violence during the elections. The situation underscores the ongoing political volatility in West Bengal and the broader challenges of ensuring free and fair elections in highly polarized environments.
