Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 1 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Kharagpur, Dilip Ghosh, on Friday, dismissed allegations of vote rigging made by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), asserting that the high voter turnout reflects a political shift in West Bengal, while accusing the ruling party of targeting institutions as it faces electoral pressure.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said, "Earlier we used to do it because we were on the back foot, they were in power. They used to win for sure because there was so much false voting. But that's over now. The way people have come out and voted in large numbers today shows that a change is coming."
He further alleged that the TMC is targeting multiple institutions, including the Election Commission of India (ECI), central forces and the Border Security Force (BSF), due to its weakening political position.
"That's why TMC is on the back foot and they are complaining about everything... Now Mamata Banerjee is sitting in the strong room and doing politics. What is this? The situation is not good for them," he added.
Meanwhile, West Bengal has recorded one of its highest voter turnouts since independence, reaching a historic 91.66 per cent during Phase II of the elections held on Wednesday. The polling process, however, also witnessed heightened political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the deployment and role of security forces across various constituencies in the state.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), poll participation in West Bengal (Phase-II) stood at 91.66 per cent till 7:45 PM. In Phase I of the elections conducted on April 23, the voter turnout was recorded at 93.19 per cent, resulting in a combined poll percentage of 92.47 per cent across the two phases.
"The combined poll percentage over the two phases stands at 92.47%. Previously, the highest poll-participation in WB was 84.72% (2011 GELA), " a release from the ECI said.
The voter turnout figures indicate strong participation across demographics, with female voters leading at 92.28 per cent, while male voter turnout stood at 91.07 per cent, reflecting widespread electoral engagement.
The ECI further stated that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, closely monitored the polling process through live webcasting. The Commission ensured 100 per cent live webcasting coverage across all polling stations in West Bengal during Phase II, reinforcing transparency and adherence to electoral guidelines.
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