Contai: The election at the Contai Cooperative Bank, which was held on Sunday following a Supreme Court order to deploy central forces for the purpose, was swept by Trinamool Congress. The party bagged 101 seats out of 108, while BJP won six seats and an independent candidate won one.
The polls were marred by clashes between Trinamool and BJP supporters. By the end of the day, TMC managed to retain control over the Cooperative Bank, where elections could not be held in the last three years following the expiry of the last board of directors’ tenure.
On Sunday, 430 candidates contested for 108 seats while nearly 80,480 members voted for them. A 15-member board of directors will now be formed.
Cooperative elections are keenly fought as these institutions are sources of funds for netas cutting across political lines. Violence had marred the election at Tamluk Cooperative Bank last week. Following clashes and the murder of a Trinamool worker there, SC on Dec 10 ordered deployment of central forces and installation of CCTV cameras at booths for the Contai polls.
Accordingly, 300 CCTV cameras monitored 14 polling centres. Section 144 was imposed within a 200m radius of each polling centre, and 60 to 80 police officers were stationed at each location. Several areas were marked as sensitive, and reserve forces were deployed to handle any disturbance. The Cooperative Election Commission changed five polling centers just before the election to avoid any untoward incidents.
Tension, however, was mounting since Sunday morning despite the presence of central forces at five booths in Contai and Egra. BJP accused Trinamool of snatching coupons and assaulting their supporters on the way to the Ramnagar College booth. BJP workers blocked the road to the booth, preventing voters from reaching it. However, the situation was brought under control after police from Ramnagar PS intervened. Allegations of attacks on BJP supporters by Trinamool were reported in Contai, Heria and Kolaghat.
Tapan Maity, a BJP functionary at Ramnagar, said: “Our workers are being selectively targeted. Coupons are being snatched from them and they are being prevented from reaching booths. Several workers were assaulted to stop them from voting.”
Ramnagar’s Trinamool MLA and former minister Akhil Giri said: “There is no unrest in Ramnagar. BJP is making false allegations to disrupt the election. We want to conduct the voting peacefully.”
The 79-year-old bank was previously headed by now state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari since 2009. In Aug 2021, he was removed as chairperson by the board of directors. For the last three years it has been run by a special officer.
The polls were marred by clashes between Trinamool and BJP supporters. By the end of the day, TMC managed to retain control over the Cooperative Bank, where elections could not be held in the last three years following the expiry of the last board of directors’ tenure.
On Sunday, 430 candidates contested for 108 seats while nearly 80,480 members voted for them. A 15-member board of directors will now be formed.
Cooperative elections are keenly fought as these institutions are sources of funds for netas cutting across political lines. Violence had marred the election at Tamluk Cooperative Bank last week. Following clashes and the murder of a Trinamool worker there, SC on Dec 10 ordered deployment of central forces and installation of CCTV cameras at booths for the Contai polls.
Accordingly, 300 CCTV cameras monitored 14 polling centres. Section 144 was imposed within a 200m radius of each polling centre, and 60 to 80 police officers were stationed at each location. Several areas were marked as sensitive, and reserve forces were deployed to handle any disturbance. The Cooperative Election Commission changed five polling centers just before the election to avoid any untoward incidents.
Tension, however, was mounting since Sunday morning despite the presence of central forces at five booths in Contai and Egra. BJP accused Trinamool of snatching coupons and assaulting their supporters on the way to the Ramnagar College booth. BJP workers blocked the road to the booth, preventing voters from reaching it. However, the situation was brought under control after police from Ramnagar PS intervened. Allegations of attacks on BJP supporters by Trinamool were reported in Contai, Heria and Kolaghat.
Tapan Maity, a BJP functionary at Ramnagar, said: “Our workers are being selectively targeted. Coupons are being snatched from them and they are being prevented from reaching booths. Several workers were assaulted to stop them from voting.”
Ramnagar’s Trinamool MLA and former minister Akhil Giri said: “There is no unrest in Ramnagar. BJP is making false allegations to disrupt the election. We want to conduct the voting peacefully.”
The 79-year-old bank was previously headed by now state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari since 2009. In Aug 2021, he was removed as chairperson by the board of directors. For the last three years it has been run by a special officer.
