The BJP workers demanded action against those involved in booth jamming and ballot box looting, intensifying the political tension in the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged widespread protests across West Bengal on Friday, accusing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of election malpractices during the July 8 panchayat elections in the state. BJP workers gathered at Block Development Officer (BDO) offices in various locations, demanding action against those involved in booth jamming and ballot box looting, claiming that the electoral process was compromised.
The BJP's demonstrations came in response to the controversial panchayat elections held on July 8 in West Bengal. The party expressed its dissatisfaction with the conduct of the elections and raised allegations against the TMC government, questioning the fairness and integrity of the electoral process.
Furthermore, the political atmosphere grew more charged as the leader of the opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, warned of counter-protests by the BJP near vehicles of TMC Members of Parliament (MPs) during the Parliament sessions. Adhikari's response came after TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee called for TMC workers to demonstrate near the houses of BJP leaders in every block of the state on August 5. Banerjee's call for demonstrations was in protest against the Central government's alleged "step-motherly approach" towards West Bengal.
In response to the BJP's statewide protests, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen criticized the opposition party, accusing them of attempting to create tensions in the state following their defeat in the panchayat elections. Sen dismissed the BJP's efforts, stating that such tactics would not yield any favorable outcomes.