History repeated itself with shameless accuracy even as the by-elections for Uluberia parliamentary constituency and Noapara Assembly seats ended amid complaints of violence, booth capturing and rigging by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Like in the previous occasions the Left Front, the BJP and the Congress remained at the receiving end of the Trinamool violence complaining vainly to the EC.
About 70 per cent polling had taken place by 4 in evening at Uluberia where Trinamool was in direct fight with the BJP at Noapara the polling percentage was a bit higher. The Trinamool goons had captured about 115 of 240 booths in Noapara and had rendered the elections into a farce, Left Front said while the ruling outfit represented by Arjun Singh rubbished the allegations.
In both the seats the Left Front is trying to hold on to the second position even as the Trinamool and BJP faced each other in direct contest. At Uluberia which has 40 per cent Muslim and 60 per cent Hindu votes the Opposition workers said the ruling outfit had imported armed goons across Ganges from nearby South 24 Parganas district.
Uluberia is witnessing nine-cronered contest. The TMC, which has been winning the seat since 2009, has fielded deceased sitting MP Sultan Ahmed’s wife Sajda Begum. The CPI(M)-led Left Front had nominated Sabiruddin Molla whereas the Congress has fielded SK Madassar Hossain Warsi. The BJP the only party to field Hindu candidate is represented by Anupam Mallik. There are 5 other independent candidates in fray.
In Noapara, the TMC has fielded Sunil Singh against CPI(M)’s Gargi Chatterjee, Congress’ Goutam Bose and BJP’s Sandip Banerjee. The results of the by-elections will be announced on February 1.