Kolkata, April 30 (IANS) BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul on Thursday described the recently-concluded polling process in West Bengal as unprecedented, claiming that neither the state nor the country had witnessed such peaceful polling before, while urging all political parties to respect the final mandate.
Speaking to IANS, Paul praised the conduct of the elections and credited the officials overseeing the process, including Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, and West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, along with the Election Commission of India, for ensuring smooth and violence-free voting.
“We have never seen an election like this in West Bengal, and even India has never witnessed such an election. We salute the entire Election Commission team. We never imagined that such elections could be conducted even without imposing Article 356,” she said.
Paul highlighted that the polling process remained largely peaceful, with no reports of violence, arson, or killings — issues that have historically marred elections in parts of the state.
She also pointed to the high voter turnout recorded across constituencies, stating that figures ranging between 92 per cent and 97 per cent were extraordinary. “India has never seen such numbers. It used to be said that Bengalis treat election day like a holiday — they eat, rest, and don’t participate much. But the people of Bengal have proven that when they make a decision, it becomes like a tsunami,” she remarked.
Praising the electorate, Paul said the participation reflected a strong democratic spirit among the people of West Bengal. “I salute the people of Bengal,” she added.
Responding to concerns raised by candidates of political parties, including Vijay Upadhyay of the Trinamool Congress, and plans to monitor strongrooms where EVMs are stored, Paul said vigilance by all stakeholders is a necessary part of the democratic process.
“We also don’t have complete trust, so monitoring is necessary. You should monitor; we are monitoring too. CPM, Congress, ISF, JUP — everyone should monitor. In politics, blind trust shouldn’t be placed,” she said.
However, she reiterated confidence in the overall conduct of the elections, contrasting it with previous electoral cycles. “This was not like 2019, nor 2021. We have never seen such an election before. I myself contested from Medinipur, and it was not like this then,” she said.
Emphasising the need to uphold democratic values, Paul appealed to all political parties to accept the results once declared. “On the 4th, whoever wins — whoever the people have voted for — no one should say there was rigging, because there hasn’t been any. We will humbly bow down and accept whoever wins,” she said.
–IANS
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