Kolkata, June 19: BJP candidate for the by-election to Kaliganj assembly constituency in West Bengal's Nadia district, Ashish Ghosh, on Thursday alleged that polling officials put the ink mark on his middle finger instead of the index finger when he went to cast his vote. Ghosh alleged that the polling officer of booth number 173 in Debagram under the "insistence" of Trinamool Congress agents deliberately put the ink mark on his middle finger.

"First, they missed putting the ink on my finger when I went to cast my vote. Then, after noticing that the ink was not there, I went back and they deliberately put the ink on my middle finger. This is a pre-planned thing. This is nothing but a political conspiracy of the TMC and they did it," Ghosh alleged. Kaliganj Assembly Bye-Election 2025: Ashish Ghosh Named As BJP Candidate for West Bengal Bypolls.

After casting his vote, Ghosh posed for photographs, showing the middle finger with the ink mark. Talking to PTI, one of the poll officials said that though no rule was flouted by Ghosh showing the middle finger, they have sought a report from the District Magistrate in this regard. Assembly By-Elections 2025: Voting Underway in Kerala’s Nilambur, West Bengal’s Kaliganj, Visavadar and Kadi in Gujarat, and Punjab’s Ludhiana West, Moderate Turnout Recorded Till Noon.

"There is no hard and fast rule that the ink should be put on the index finger. There was no rule flouted. We will look into the matter," the official said.