Kolkata: West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Tuesday accused Trinamool Congress’s Jangipur candidate Haji Nurul Islam of distributing money to voters as well as stoking communal sentiments. Islam denied the allegations.
“He is not only distributing money aiming to buy votes… he is also causing communal sentiments to flare up in Jangipur. He is trying to communally destabilise the area. We will approach the Election Commission with a formal complaint,” said Chowdhury.
Islam, who has been caught on tape distributing Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes to people during a party rally in Sagardighi in Murshidabad Monday, however rubbished the allegations and even claimed that the video broadcast by several vernacular news channels to be “doctored”.
“The allegations are baseless, I have not distributed any money. The video is doctored and has been put up by my rivals to malign me,” he said.
Earlier Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and Bengali film actor Joy Banerjee contesting from Birbhum Lok Sabha seat was seen on tape allegedly distributing money during his poll campaign.
Both Banerjee and the party had denied the allegations.