West Bengal

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Nandigram, October 6: Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has levelled serious allegations of miscreant activity during the Nandigram Assembly by-election, claiming that his polling agent was allegedly taken away by unidentified miscreants. Pradhan also expressed strong dissatisfaction over what he described as the Election Commission’s alleged inaction in response to the incident.

Speaking about the situation during polling in the Nandigram constituency, Pradhan said that the by-election was an important democratic exercise and that every citizen had the right to cast their vote freely. However, he alleged that miscreants had been allowed to operate freely in the area over the past two days, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty during the election process.

“This is a by-election. Citizens certainly have the right to vote in an election. That is our freedom. But here, for the last two days, miscreants have been allowed to operate freely. They have taken away my polling agent,” Pradhan alleged.

The Congress candidate said the alleged incident involving his polling agent was a serious matter and should not have taken place during an election. He strongly protested against what he described as the unchecked activities of miscreants and questioned the response of the election authorities.

“This is absolutely not right. We have informed the election authorities about the matter, but there has still been no significant response from them,” Pradhan said.

His allegations have added to the political tension surrounding the Nandigram by-election, where polling is being conducted amid close attention from political parties and election officials. The Congress candidate's claims regarding the alleged removal of his polling agent and the subsequent response of the election authorities are likely to trigger further political reactions.

The Nandigram by-election has already emerged as one of the closely watched electoral contests in West Bengal. With candidates and political parties closely monitoring polling arrangements, allegations concerning polling agents, security and the role of miscreants have become an important part of the political discourse surrounding the election.

Pradhan's allegations have also raised questions about the effectiveness of the administrative and electoral machinery in ensuring a peaceful polling environment. The Congress candidate has maintained that voters should be able to exercise their democratic rights without fear or intimidation and has demanded appropriate attention to the concerns raised by his party.