As polling continues in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has levelled serious allegations against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing it of attempting to block votes in the politically sensitive Diamond Harbour region.

The BJP has claimed that its lotus symbol on the voting machine was deliberately covered with tape in multiple polling booths in Falta, an Assembly segment in the Diamond Harbour belt, which is considered a strong political base of Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The allegation surfaced after BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video on social media that allegedly showed the BJP’s symbol partially taped over on an EVM, raising concerns over the integrity of the polling process in the constituency.

In a strongly worded post, Malviya accused the ruling party of interfering with voters’ rights and described the alleged act as a deliberate effort to prevent support for the BJP.

“In several polling booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice,” Malviya said while sharing the video.

Escalating the attack, he linked the alleged incident to what he termed the “Diamond Harbour Model,” accusing the TMC of using unfair methods in the region to secure political advantage.

“This is the so-called Diamond Harbour Model,” he alleged, claiming the same strategy had benefited the ruling party in earlier elections.

The BJP has demanded immediate re-polling in all booths where such incidents were reported, arguing that voters were denied a fair opportunity to cast their ballots.

The allegations have added fresh controversy to the final phase of polling in West Bengal, where the electoral battle between the BJP and TMC has remained fiercely contested. With voting still underway, the issue is expected to intensify political tensions in one of the state’s most high-profile constituencies.