Hooghly, 29 April (H.S.): Tension flared during the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections in Khanakul, following allegations of fake polling agents at a booth in the area.

The controversy emerged at Booth No. 147 in Ramchandrapur under Rajahati-1 gram panchayat, where the Indian Secular Front (ISF) accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of placing “fake polling agents.” Reports also suggest that the situation escalated into a scuffle between workers of the two parties.

According to local sources, on Wednesday morning, ISF alleged that TMC workers forged polling agent forms and deployed their own members inside the booth posing as ISF agents. The party also claimed that its original polling agent had been threatened the previous night.

After learning about the incident, ISF workers reached the booth and removed the alleged fake agent, which triggered tensions between the two sides. The verbal confrontation soon escalated into a physical clash.

The police and central forces were deployed to the spot and managed to bring the situation under control.

ISF candidate from Khanakul, Sheikh Saddam Hossain, alleged that TMC workers had seized forms from ISF members at five booths and used them to send fake agents into polling stations.

Meanwhile, TMC candidate Palash Roy dismissed the allegations, stating that polling in Khanakul was proceeding peacefully under the presence of central forces and that he had no information about such an incident.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey