BJP, TMC spar over Mamata’s audio clip

On the day of the fifth phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal, a purported audio clip of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released by the IT cell of the BJP triggered a major war of words with both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP appealing to the election commission to take action against the other.

While the BJP claimed that Mamata is trying to polarise the voters, the ruling Trinamool accused the BJP of intruding into people’s right to privacy by tapping Mamata’s phone.

The alleged audio tape released by BJP’s national IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya had a conversation between the chief minister and the Trinamool candidate from Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar, Partha Pratim Ray, where a female voice, purportedly that of Mamata, could be heard asking ‘Partha’ to “keep the bodies so that the party could hold a rally with the dead”.

The tape also has the female voice asking the second person to “consult a lawyer and draw up an FIR” so that the “Commandant, IC, SP... could be transferred”. “Who were killed in the firing?” the female voice could also be heard saying. The voice on the other end responds: “Didi, they are our men.”

78.36% voter turnout

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 78.36 per cent across 45 constituencies in six districts during the fifth phase of the state Assembly polls, according to chief electoral officer Aariz Aftab.

Voting for the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls began at 7 am yesterday amid tight security.