Rampant irregularities in Bengal panchayat poll counting: Left

Faced with yet another electoral setback in West Bengal, the Left Front Monday accused ruling Trinamool Congress of conspiring with police and some State Election Commission officials in carrying out rampant irregularities in the vote count for the panchayat polls.

"There have been rampant irregularities in counting. Trinamool counting agents, police personnel and some SEC personnel entrusted with counting have all conspired and are directly involved in the fraudulent counting of votes," LF chairman Biman Bose told media persons here.

He also claimed that repeated complaints to the SEC were of no avail and Left Front agents faced attack wherever they opposed the irregularities.

"Wherever such irregularities took place, our counting agents were forcibly driven out of the counting centres in front of the police. We have repeatedly complained to the SEC but to no avail," said Bose.

He claimed such irregularities took place in a number of counting centres in Burdwan, Howrah and Hooghly districts.

He also claimed in some centres, LF candidates were leading, but the counting process was either stopped or disrupted by Trinamool activists.