West Bengal By-Polls: BJP Accuses TMC of Booth Capturing, TMC Retorts with Bribe Allegations

Kalyan Choubey of BJP accused TMC's Kunal Ghosh of booth capturing and intimidating voters during West Bengal by-polls. Ghosh countered with claims of bribery by Choubey. By-polls were necessitated by the death of a sitting MLA and party-switching by BJP lawmakers.

Kalyan Choubey, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Maniktala assembly, has accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh of 'capturing polling booths' and 'threatening voters' during the recent West Bengal by-polls. Voters in Maniktala, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagdah, and Raiganj constituencies cast their ballots yesterday.

In a conversation with ANI, Choubey claimed that TMC leader Ghosh, alongside thousands of 'goons,' intimidated voters and attacked BJP agents. One incident even saw Choubey’s car being attacked, with his security personnel intervening to save him. Choubey further alleged that TMC's tactics were focused on areas where BJP had gained leads.

The accusations follow a similar pattern of post-assembly poll violence in 2021, which Choubey had previously brought before the court. In response, Ghosh countered by accusing Choubey of attempting to bribe him for support, offering state or national-level positions. Choubey dismissed the bribery claims as false, suggesting Ghosh had earlier shown interest in joining BJP.

The by-polls are seen as critical for both BJP and TMC with high stakes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While TMC seeks to maintain its winning momentum, BJP aims to reclaim seats lost due to MLA defections to TMC. Notably, TMC won 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2021, an increase from its 2019 tally.

Besides West Bengal, by-elections were also held in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh yesterday.