Mamata Banerjee dials Bengal Governor from outside Nandigram polling booth, says 'locals not allowed to cast vote'

Mamata Banerjee calls Governor over phone, outside a polling booth in Nandigram (Image: ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dialed State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar from outside a polling booth in Nandigram on April 1, alleging that a number of locals were not being allowed to cast their votes.

"They didn't allow the local people to cast their vote. From morning I am campaigning...Now I am appealing to you, please see," Banerjee was heard as saying in the video clip which shows her speaking to the Governor over the phone.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief alleged that her complaints were not being effectively addressed by the Election Commission officials. She claimed to have lodged around 63 poll-related complaints since the morning.

#WATCH: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee speaks to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the phone at a polling booth in Nandigram. She says, "...They didn't allow the local people to cast their vote. From morning I am campaigning...Now I am appealing to you, please see..." pic.twitter.com/mjsNQx38BB

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021

The Nandigram seat witnesses a contest between Banerjee and her former close aide Suvendu Adhikari - who switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party in December last year.

Banerjee chose to contest from Nandigram - which was the epicentre of her 2007 agitation against land acquisition. Pollsters claimed that she faced a stringent challenge from Adhikari, who had won the seat in 2016 by a solid margin of over 80,000 votes.

Follow live updates of assembly election coverage

Nandigram is among 30 seats of West Bengal that went to polls on April 1. On the eve of polls, the Election Commission issued prohibitory orders in Nandigram to prevent untoward incidents.

"The assembly of five or more persons excluding poll personnel and voters is prohibited within 200 metres of the polling premises. No mobile phones and wireless sets will be allowed within 100 metres of the polling premises, except by persons on election duty," stated the order, which will be in effect till April 2 midnight.