Bengal polling heats up: BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari flags ‘contractual workers’ in vote counting | India News

Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Subvendu Adhikari, expressed concern over the deployment of contractual and casual workers for counting votes in the two constituencies, calling it a threat to the integrity of the democratic process.Adhikari, who is also the BJP candidate from Bhavanipur, described the move as “a matter of serious concern and a direct attack on the sanctity of the democratic process”.“Is the fate of democracy in the hands of contract workers?” Adhikari wrote.Referring to the enumeration orders issued for 227-Pingla AC and 230-Daspur AC, he questioned the involvement of temporary workers in handling sensitive electoral material.“How can ‘Jeevi Sevak’, ‘Assistant’ and ‘Contractual DEOs’ be entrusted with the sensitive job of handling EVMs, VVPATs and Postal Ballots?” he asked, adding that such a role is “inherently vulnerable to political pressure and lacks the institutional accountability required for a process as sacred as vote counting,” Adhikari said in a post on X.He called for immediate intervention Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal ensure that only permanent Government servants are deputed to carry out counting duties. “This appears to be a desperate attempt by the ruling system to manipulate the final mandate through weak personnel,” alleged Adhikari, calling for a comprehensive audit of enumeration staff in West Midnapore district.“The Election Commission of India must work to prevent ‘contractualisation of democracy’. We will not allow the people’s mandate to be tampered with by those whose work depends on the will of the ruling party,” he said.This comment of the BJP leader is in the complaint EVM rigging It has been claimed that the party’s symbol lotus has been “covered with tape” at certain polling booths in Falta constituency of South 24 Parganas district.Repolling is underway in 15 polling stations in South 24 Parganas district, including 11 in Magrahat West and four in Diamond Harbour.In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, the Election Commission of India said that the re-polling was ordered based on inputs from the state election machinery, with polling time scheduled for 7.00 am to 6.00 pm on the day.