BJP, Left to boycott repoll in Bidhannagar and Asansol

The opposition BJP and Left today decided to boycott tomorrow's repoll in 11 booths in Bidhannagar and Asansol Municipal corporation accusing the State Election Commissioner of acting on behalf of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
"We have decided to boycott the repoll on October 9 as the decision taken by the interim State Election Commissioner is one sided, in favour of TMC. He is acting as an agent of TMC," CPI(M) state secretariat leader Rabin Deb told reporters after meeting West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi.
"We wanted repolling in all the 41 wards in Bidhanagar and 16 wards in Howrah. But it has been narrowed down to few booths just. It is nothing but a farce. So we have decided to boycott the polls," he said.

The CPI-M leader said he has urged the Governor to intervene in order to restore the independence and dignity of State Election Commission.
BJP state leadership has demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and accused the state government of subverting the democratic rights of the masses.
BJP state president Rahul Sinha said "This is nothing but a farce, so we have decided to boycott the polls. The SEC should act as an impartial office but not as a back office of the ruling TMC. The CM should resign from office."

Interim SEC Alapan Bandopadhyay announced during the day that repolling would be held in 11 booths in Bidhannagar and Asansol Municipal Corporation tomorrow and the results would be announced the next day.

"The repolling in nine booths spread across four wards of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and two booths in Asansol Municipal Corporation will be held on October 9. The results for both the Municipal Corporations would be announced on October 10," Bandopadhyay told reporters.
Bandopadhyay said he has already spoken to the state Home secretary and had requested him for security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident during polling.
Former State Election Commissioner S R Upadhyay, who resigned on Tuesday in the wake of violence-marred civic polls apparently under pressure from political parties even before counting of votes is taken up, had earlier announced before the media that there would be repoll in some booths on October eight and counting would be taken up a day later.