Less than 24 hours before the Lok Sabha polls, Abhijit Das, the BJP candidate taking on Trinamool Congress number two, Abhishek Banerjee, in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat, has alleged that the entire poll machinery was working overtime for the Trinamool leader. He alleged that the Trinamool Congress had assembled “30,000 criminals in the constituency” who would be used to intimidate voters.
“The District Election Officer who is the District Magistrate, the Observers, Micro-Observers and the police force are all working for Abhishek Banerjee. The C-Vigil app is not working.
Suvidha app is working slowly. I have received information that after a meeting last night with senior State police officers, the Central forces who have been sent here have all been managed. I have informed the General Observer and the Police Observer but nobody is listening. We have video footage of police officers who are influencing the Central forces. No route marches have been conducted in the Diamond Harbour constituency,” he told The Daily Guardian.
Das, better known as Bobby, also alleged that the Expenditure Observer had turned a blind eye to the money that had been poured in to fund Abhishek Banerjee’s poll campaign.
“Despite the Rs 95-lakh cap on spending, the Diamond Harbour candidate has spent Rs 15-20 crore on his hoardings alone. Abhishek is the candidate here, so he cannot be the star campaigner here. So that means that all these expenses have to be recorded in his candidate account. Banerjee has spent crores of money for his election meetings,” he said.
“I knew that this would happen because the Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab has a special relationship with Abhishek Banerjee. I have been complaining about Aftab since 2018. He played a similar role in 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Assembly elections.
He was removed once but I don’t know due to which unknown power, he was reinstated soon after. He is totally turning a blind eye to our complaints,” Das alleged.
“We have repeatedly said that the District Magistrate has to be removed to ensure free and fair polls, but the Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab has managed to bury the matter. I am apprehending widespread false voting and intimidation tomorrow,” he said.
He further alleged that for the past two months, the BJP had not been allowed to set up stages for public meetings. “Our decorators have been threatened by criminals”.
He also alleged that despite forwarding details of the hotels and lodges where the anti-social elements had been put up by the Trinamool Congress, no action was being taken by the Central forces. He alleged that thousands of fake ID cards have been prepared, and the presiding officers have been threatened to maintain silence on polling day.
“If Abhishek has worked hard for the constituency, then why does he need to bring in criminals to manage the elections?” Abhijit Das asked.
Abhishek Banerjee has also “purchased many local BJP leaders”, he alleged, adding that 95 per cent of the people were against the Trinamool Congress scion. “Abhishek will lose his deposit if the Election Commission ensures free and fair elections,” the BJP candidate said.