West Bengal: Mock polls underway for Assembly by elections

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 10 (ANI): Mock polls are underway for polling at four Assembly seats in West Bengal. The voting process for the by polls will begin at 7 am and continue till 6 pm.

Notably, by-polls will be held on four assembly seats in West Bengal on Wednesday. The seats are Maniktala in Kolkata, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagdah in North 24 Parganas, and Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district.

In Maniktala, BJP has fielded Kalyan Chaubey, who will be contesting against TMC’s Supti Pande.

In Ranaghat Dakshin, TMC has fielded Mukut Mani Adhikari against the BJP candidate.

In Bagdah, TMC has pitted Madhuparna Thakur against the BJP’s candidate.

In Raiganj, the BJP has fielded Krishna Kalyani as its candidate against TMC candidate.

Earlier, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that BJP candidate Kalyan Choubey tried to bribe him to support his campaign in the assembly by-polls.

Ghosh claimed that Choubey offered to accommodate him at the state or national level in exchange for his support.

Notably, Kalyan Choubey is BJP candidate from Maniktala Assembly by-polls.

“The campaign has ended, and BJP candidate (of Maniktala assembly) Kalyan Choubey has understood that he is going to lose the elections. On July 7, at 11:30 at night, he asked me to support him knowing fully well that I am the convenor of the core committee, constituted by the CM for the Maniktala by-election. He said that he would try to accommodate me at the state or national level. In a way, he was trying to bribe me. The offer that he has given is wrong,” Ghosh said on Tuesday.

Choubey, however, denied the allegations, stating that Ghosh had previously expressed interest in joining the BJP and that their conversation was a courtesy call.

Choubey further claimed he casually told Ghosh that he would easily win the election with his support, but denied any wrongdoing.

“It’s not true, this thing is doctored, I haven’t said this. He has sent a proposal to join the BJP through someone. After that, I said that since you are a resident of my Assembly constituency and you have come to my home since 2018, he came 15-20 times, and that too to join the BJP. I said it lightly that if I have your support, I will win this election easily. It was a courtesy call since I knew him,” he told ANI on Tuesday.