Allegations of false voting surface from multiple booths; MP Sudip Banerjee questions EVM integrity

The second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections has been marred by a series of unsettling reports regarding electoral irregularities. Across multiple constituencies, including Krishnanagar North, Krishnanagar South, and Purbasthali South, voters have come forward with claims of proxy voting and identity theft.

In the Krishnanagar North constituency, elderly voter Archana Mondal arrived at the Asannagar Durlavpara booth with her husband, only to be informed that a "fake" vote had already been recorded against her identity. A similar incident occurred in the Purbasthali South constituency, where Monowara Khatun, a resident of Char Goalpara, faced the same predicament at booth number 115. She alleged that when she attempted to raise the issue with the central forces and the presiding officer, they evaded responsibility, leaving her unable to cast her vote.

Tensions were further exacerbated in Krishnanagar South at booth number 29, where an alleged "outsider" was caught red-handed attempting to cast a vote. It was discovered that the individual’s residence was in Gangnapur, far from the constituency. The BJP has faced accusations of orchestrating the presence of these outside voters to manipulate the polling process in their favor.

Amidst these reports, political leaders have begun questioning the reliability of the entire electoral process. TMC MP Sudip Banerjee expressed strong skepticism regarding potential EVM tampering. Citing the Prime Minister’s confident assertions about his upcoming oath-taking ceremony, Banerjee stated, "Whether there is any tampering with the EVM machines or not has not come to light yet... We should go back to paper ballot voting." As the day progresses, these collective allegations of booth-level irregularities and systemic doubt have created a highly charged atmosphere across the state.