Sporadic violence at some places -during fifth phase of polls in Bengal 78.36% poll - highest 81.73 per cent of voters' turnout in Jalpaiguri district

Over 78% voter turnout recorded till 5pm, Jalpaiguri tops chart

People stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the 5th phase of State Assembly elections at Santipur, in Nadia on Saturday.: PTI

TT  Bureau, Agencies   |   Calcutta   |  17.04.21  : Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas where polling took place during the fifth phase of the Assembly elections in Bengal on Saturday, while 78.36 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm, officials said.

Polling was held in 45 seats in North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman and Nadia in south Bengal, and Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the north.

The highest 81.73 per cent of voters' turnout was registered in Jalpaiguri district, followed by Purba Bardhaman (81.72 per cent), Nadia (81.57 per cent), North 24 Parganas (74.83 per cent), Darjeeling (74.31 per cent) and Kalimpong (69.56 per cent), he said.

"By and large polling has been peaceful in Bengal today barring a few incidents of some violence," a senior official at the CEO said.

Voter turnout till 6:30 pm on Saurday.: Graphic: The Telegraph Online

"The security personnel are maintaining a tight vigil and they have addressed a few incidents that were reported," an official at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had said earlier.

In the Shantinagar area of Bidhanagar, a clash broke out between TMC and BJP supporters with both sides accusing each other of stopping the voters from going to the polling booths.

Bricks and stones were hurled, injuring eight people, officials said.

A huge contingent of the central force was rushed to the spot to control the situation, they said.

TMC MLA Sujit Bose and BJP candidate Sabyasachi Dutta visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

In Siliguri, a scuffle broke out between TMC and CPI (M) supporters outside a polling booth.

In Santipur in the Nadia district, the TMC alleged that personnel of the central forces were asking voters to go back, a charge rubbished by the authorities.

Further, the TMC alleged that a polling booth in the Bardhaman Uttar constituency was captured by the BJP. The allegation was denied by the opposition party, while poll officials said that no such incident has happened.

In Bijpur in North 24 Parganas, TMC and BJP supporters clashed after the Opposition party alleged that voters were being prevented from going to the booths.

The BJP also alleged that some of its booth agents in the Minakha constituency of the same district were "kidnapped" by the TMC.

The TMC said that the BJP does not have enough strength to depute agents in all the booths and that is why it was levelling such "baseless" allegations.

A total of 1,13,47,344 people were eligible to vote. Of them, 57,35,766 are men, 56,11,354 were women and 224 are third gender.

At many places, voters were seen without masks amid the resurgent coronavirus, raising concerns. The security forces ensured social distancing at the booths, while election officials provided masks, hand sanitisers and polythene gloves to the voters.

The polling started at 7 am and continued till 6.30 pm in 15,789 stations across the six districts.

The Election Commission had deployed at least 853 companies of the central forces for Saturday's polling.

The strength of one company of central force is around 100 personnel including officers.

Locals say central forces opened fire at Deganga

The Election Commission on Saturday sought a report from poll observers on an alleged incident of firing by central forces in Deganga constituency of South 24 Parganas -- where voting is underway -- after such allegations were levelled by locals.

A senior election official said the office of CEO Ariz Aftab has received video footages, in which villagers are seen alleging that central forces opened fire near a booth in Kurulgacha area of Deganga to chase them away.

"We have sought a quick report on the matter from the poll observers there," he said.

However, a Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) officer posted at the booth, where the locals claimed shots have been fired, said the allegations made are "baseless".

"Everything is fine here. The voting exercise is going on very peacefully. There was no incident of firing anywhere in this area," he stated.

 

BJP booth agent falls sick, dies

A booth agent of the BJP died after falling sick at a polling station in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Saturday morning, prompting the Election Commission to seek a report, an official said.

Abhijit Samanta, the BJP agent of booth number 107 in the Kamarhati assembly constituency, fell sick within an hour of the beginning of the polling, he said.

Samanta was declared brought dead when taken to a hospital, he said.

Voters waiting in the queue at the booth alleged that Samanta was not attended by poll officials and the central forces personnel initially even as he complained of chest pain and started vomiting.

Meanwhile, an Independent candidate in the Chakdah seat in Nadia was detained after he was found carrying a firearm outside a booth, police said.

Koushik Bhowmick, the candidate, was found carrying the firearm outside booth number 44 and 45, they said.