Stray incidents of violence reported during last phase of Bengal polls- 76.07 per cent poll

Clashes break out, crude bombs hurled in Calcutta

Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar after casting his vote in Calcutta on Thursday. Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 76.07 per cent till 6:30 pm during the eighth phase of the Assembly polls.: PTI

TT Bureau, Agencies   |   Calcutta   |  29.04.21:  A voter turnout of 76.07 per cent was recorded in the eighth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, the Election Commission said on Thursday.

The turnout figure is provisional as it was recorded at 5 pm when voting was still on.

The commission said that "peaceful" polling was concluded across 11,860 polling stations in 35 assembly seats in the last phase of the elections.

Repolling in Amtali Madhyamik Siksha Kendra polling station in Sitalkuchi assembly constituency was also held on Thursday.

Polling was suspended at the centre in Cooch Behar district on April 10 after five people were killed as central forces allegedly opened fire after coming under attack from locals who "attempted to snatch their rifles".

In the eighth phase of the West Bengal polls, 11,860 Ballot Units (BUs), 11,860 Control Units (CUs) and 11,860 VVPATs were used.

"Non-functioning rate of EVMs and VVPATs during the poll was comparable to what was experienced in the last few polls," the commission said in a statement.

One control unit, at least one ballot unit and one paper trail machine makes for one electronic voting machine.

During the West Bengal elections, seizure of Rs 339.45 crore has been reported till Thursday.

The seizure figures, which includes seizure of cash, liquor, narcotics and freebies, is 7.65 times of the total seizure of Rs 44.33 crores in the 2016 assembly polls, the commission said.

Earlier in the day, one person was killed and two others injured as a car hit them in Murshidabad district, triggering tension in the area, a police officer said.

The CPI(M) alleged that its member Kader Mondal (42) was killed, and two others -- Asim Al Mamoon (43) and Lal Chand Mondal (42) -- sustained injuries after TMC candidate Jafikul Islam ran his car over them.

Islam, the TMC's Domkal seat candidate, rubbished the allegation, claiming that he was nowhere near the site of the incident.

Chief Election Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab has sought a report from district authorities in the matter.

In the city's Beliaghata area, clashes broke out between two groups of people, following which the police restored to mild lathicharge to disperse them.

Two persons, who identified themselves as BJP activists, alleged that they were roughed up by TMC workers during the melee.

In Jorasanko constituency of central Calcutta, crude bombs were hurled outside Mahajati Sadan, the police said.

BJP candidate Meena Devi Purohit alleged that the bombs were thrown at her vehicle while she was touring different polling booths.

A huge police contingent was rushed to the spot to control the situation.

In Nanoor constituency of violence-prone Birbhum district, BJP candidate Tarakeshwar Saha reportedly suffered injuries after his vehicle was ransacked.

Saha accused TMC cadres of attacking him, but the allegation was dubbed as "baseless" by local leaders of the state's ruling party.

In Maniktala constituency of Calcutta, BJP candidate Kalyan Choubey was gheraoed by a group of people during his visit to the polling booths.

Choubey said "TMC-backed anti-socials" tried to create disturbances "so that they could rig the polls".

TMC candidate Sadhan Pande, however, alleged agents of his party were beaten up by the BJP cadres in several booths.

Long queues were seen outside most polling booths since early morning, raising concern over the spread of COVID-19, even as the Election Commission gave assurance that all precautionary measures are in place.

Bengal registered its highest single-day spike of 17,207 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, while 77 more people succumbed to the disease.

Over 84.77 lakh voters will decide the political fate of 283 candidates in this phase.

Security measures have been heightened in view of the violence in the previous phases, an EC official said.

The poll panel has deployed 641 companies of central forces in the final phase to ensure fair voting, he said.

It has also placed TMC's Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal under strict surveillance till 7 am on Friday, as the CEO received "several complaints against him".

The voting exercise will continue till 6.30 pm.

The eight-phase elections to the 294-member Bengal Assembly began on March 27. Votes will be counted on Sunday.