EC discards Mamata's allegations of voting discrepancies in Nandigram

The Election Commission on Sunday issued a point by point response refuting allegations of discrepancies during voting at Boyal polling booth in Nandigram by CM Mamata Banerjee. The EC discarded Banerjee's handwritten complaint, alleging that no genuine voters were allowed to enter the Boyal Maktab Primary School under the presence of the Border Security Force or BSF, as "factually incorrect" and "devoid of substance".

Following the allegation, the EC sought a report from the Special Observers Ajay Nayak (General) and Vivek Dube (Police), who submitted it on Saturday evening citing reports by special observers and officials that there was "no mention of either outsiders or guns and goons capturing the said booth".

The EC refuted the allegation against BSF jawans as "far from the truth" and added that though the polling agents of the BJP, CPIM and an Independent were present inside the said booth during the mock drill conducted at 5:30 AM before the commencement of voting on April 1st, the Trinamool Congress polling agent never showed up.

"It is a matter of deep regret that a media narrative was sought to be weaved hour after hour to misguide the biggest stakeholders, which is the voters by a candidate who also happens to be the honourable CM... All this was done when the election process was/is on. There could not have been a greater misdemeanour," it said, adding that it is contemplating action under the relevant sections of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act.

However, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh has maintained that Banerjee's allegations are genuine and that the EC's reply is biased and proof of the party's allegations of the Commission "acting in a partisan manner". He added that the party would communicate its standpoint on the EC's reply in time.