Workers of the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scuffled in various parts of Bengal on Monday, January 19, over the submission of Form-7s. Monday was the late date to submit these forms. Form-7 excludes absentee or deceased voters from the electoral rolls, The Times of India reported. 56,867 of these forms were reportedly submitted to the Election Commission.
BJP seeks extension, flags violence
The Bengal BJP has approached the Election Commission, asking for a seven-day extension to submit forms. It also said voters whose names have been included in Form-7 applications could be summoned for SIR hearings, TOI reported.
BJP's Bengal in-charge Amit Malviya pointed to incidents of violence in Kalna, Barasat, Bolpur, north Nadia, and Chinsurah. In an X post, he alleged, "TMC cadres are openly attempting to block submission of forms with the help of Bengal police." He also claimed that electoral registration officers (EROs) refused to accept Form-7 submissions in Kalna and Purulia.
Clashes spread across districts
BJP MLA Gouri Shankar Ghosh said violence broke out in Lalbagh in Murshidabad after TMC workers tried to stop BJP members from submitting Form-7s. He alleged that those involved included Murshidabad assembly observer Shaoni Singha Roy and Lalbagh town president Sanju Sarkar, TOI reported.
BJP workers also claimed their leaders' vehicles were vandalised and Form-7s were snatched, torn, and even burned. Police later stepped in and brought the situation under control.
TMC leader Shaoni Singha Roy accused BJP workers of bringing 16,000-17,000 Form-7s to strip people of their voting rights. In Murshidabad's Nawda, Sagardighi TMC MLA Byron Biswas sat on a dharna, alleging that people were being harassed in the name of SIR.
Clashes were reported from several places. In Asansol, outside the SDO office, TMC claimed BJP was trying to delete genuine voters, while BJP alleged TMC wanted to protect fake voters. In Durgapur, BJP workers blocked a national highway, saying they were attacked during Form-7 submissions. Violence was also reported in Jamuria and Hooghly. Tension flared outside the Bongaon SDO office after the BJP alleged that TMC workers tore Form-7s from the hands of Bongaon Uttar MLA Ashok Kirtaniya.
