Kolkata: Fingers crossed, hope 2015 poll day violence will not return today – Times of India

Seven years ago, I know I was not the target of attacks on the Bidhannagar election day but I became one. I was standing in the queue at the polling station, when I saw six to seven people, who were not from our Block, entering the booth. I questioned them but they ignored. Even the TMC candidate’s agent remained silent.
But when a youth challenged the outsiders, they pounced on him. That is when I rushed to his rescue and the goons shifted their focus and attacked me. I was left with a swell on my head and bruises on the hand.

Ever since, people in the area respect me a little more than before while the sentiment of the party in power seems contrary. It was evident after the 2016 assembly poll results, when some TMC supporters danced and burst crackers outside my house. I don’t pay heed to them.
Days before the election, candidates of all political parties came to my house, seeking their votes. While the new Trinamool candidate asked me to forget the past and vote for her, the BJP candidate came accompanied with an MLA. I was introduced me as the ‘man who was targeted by Trinamool in 2015’. I refuted the claim and politely pointed out it was part of almost every election machinery these days. They left soon.
Now that the voting day is here, several people in my locality have been calling me or coming over, asking if everything would be peaceful on Saturday and it would be safe to go and vote. I said I was neither a poll pundit nor a policeman. But I said we should all shed our fears and exercise our right to vote. I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping there would be no violence this time.
—Sen (76), a resident of AB Block for over 20 years who was attacked on the 2015 civic election day in Salt Lake, spoke to Tamaghna Banerjee