West Bengal Polls: EC Seeks Report After Polling Staffer Attacked; Allegations of Tampered Training Video Surface

Ranaghat: Serious allegations have emerged from West Bengal’s Ranaghat ahead of elections, raising concerns over the integrity of polling personnel training sessions and the safety of government staff.

Polling officials, including Bhaskar Ghosh, have alleged that workers linked to the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) infiltrated election training sessions under the guise of temporary staff. According to the claims, a training video shown during the session had been tampered with, with additional content allegedly inserted without verification.

Officials stated that the same video had earlier been circulated in the Ranaghat-1 subdivision through the District Magistrate (DM) and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). However, during the recent training session, it was replayed without fresh scrutiny, following which discrepancies were noticed. The alleged insertion of new content has raised questions about possible attempts to influence polling personnel.

Further allegations suggest that individuals associated with IPAC entered the training venue posing as support staff and attempted to interfere with the training process.

In a separate but related incident in Ranaghat, a government employee identified as Saikat Chatterjee was allegedly assaulted during a training session. The attack reportedly took place after he objected to the screening of advertisements featuring West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before the commencement of the training programme.

Polling officer Saikat Chatterjee said, “I reached the Ranaghat Debnath Institution High School for a training session when pictures of the State Chief Minister and the Jagannath Temple unexpectedly showed up on the screen. I voiced my concern, highlighting that this breached the Code of Conduct, but a young man responded disrespectfully. When I requested him to present his ID card, a crowd gathered around me in front of the Block Development Officer and attacked me”.

According to the complaint, the display of such content was seen as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Following his protest, Chatterjee was allegedly beaten up by individuals claimed to be associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), with accusations also pointing towards instigation by a local Block Development Officer (BDO).

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, in a social media post, claimed that Chatterjee was “brutally assaulted and left bloodied” for raising objections, calling it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). He further alleged that staff from the Ranaghat-1 Block Development Office acted like “musclemen,” beat up the teacher, and issued threats of further consequences.

Adhikari described the incident as part of a broader pattern, alleging a “culture of terror” in the state where individuals performing election-related duties face intimidation. He urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take immediate cognisance, register an FIR under relevant sections, and ensure strict action against those responsible.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the Election Commission has sought a detailed report from the District Election Officer (DEO). Meanwhile, state police have been directed to ensure the safety and security of polling personnel involved in election duties.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has not yet issued an official response to the allegations. Authorities are expected to verify the claims as part of the ongoing inquiry.

Earlier, clashes also broke out in Baranagar in the North 24 Parganas district between supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), prompting swift deployment of security forces to bring the situation under control.

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