Asansol bypoll: BJP files complaint against TMC MLA for 'threatening' voters

Mar 29, 2022

New Delhi [India], March 29 : The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday filed a complaint against Trinamool Congress MLA Narendra Nath Chakraborty for allegedly threatening supporters of the BJP ahead of the Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll.
A video has gone viral where Chakraborty is asking the TMC workers to intimidate the BJP supporters to not come out of their houses on the day of polls, as it would be assumed that they are voting for the BJP.
"TMC's Narendra Nath Chakraborty (in a viral video) openly said that he will not take responsibility for anyone's life if people go to vote for LS bypolls in Asansol and that he'll assume that such people voted for BJP. Election Commission assured us to action against him," said West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar.
BJP in its letter to Election Commission has claimed that it is a direct open threat by Pandabeswar MLA Chakraborty.
Pandabeswar assembly falls under the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency.
BJP in its letter to Election Commission also mentioned the criminal record of Chakraborty and the proximity of Haripur (Where the alleged threat was made) to Rampurhat (where recently violence took place).
"The present threat was made in Haripur which is a mere 90 km away from Rampurhat in District Birbhum which has been the epicentre of attention across the nation after nine women and children were burnt alive inside their homes on March 21, 2022," reads the letter.
The BJP through its letter has sought an FIR against TMC MLA under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Representation of the People Act.
The BJP has also demanded that Chakraborty should be arrested immediately and sent out of the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency till the polls take place.
Asansol is all set to witness a high-octane electoral battle with actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha taking on the BJP's Agnimitra Paul.
The Asansol Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Babul Supriyo, a two-time BJP MP, quit the party in October last year to join the TMC.
The voting will be held on April 12 while the results will be declared on April 16.