West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to 'forcefully rig the election' in the state. She alleged that the BJP is involved in violence against her party workers, calling it 'hooliganism', and said that the party is destroying the 'festival of democracy' by doing such atrocities.
Banerjee showed a photo/video of a party worker who she claims was beaten up by the BJP, saying, 'Look how our worker was beaten up at night. Just look at this atrocity. What kind of hooliganism is going on? Voting does not happen like this. Voting happens peacefully.'
She also accused the BJP of 'bringing observers from outside' to the state, who she said are doing 'terrorism'. Her comments come after she visited several polling booths in her Bhabanipur assembly constituency and alleged that central forces and election observers were acting at the behest of the BJP.
She also alleged that all TMC party flags had been removed beforehand and claimed that outsiders were interfering with the polling process.
The second phase of voting has begun in West Bengal, covering nearly half of the state's total assembly seats, 142 (out of 294). The results will be announced on May 4.
