ECI seeks report on violence in Bengal Assembly bypolls

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought an action taken report from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) West Bengal on reports of poll-related violence in the bypolls to four Assembly constituencies.

The Commission has taken special note of the complaints of booth-jamming at the Bagda Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district and the harassment of the BJP candidate Binay Kumar Biswas allegedly by the Trinamool Congress supporters at a polling booth there.

The state unit of BJP has approached the Commission complaining that the CCTV cameras in many polling booths under the Maniktala Assembly constituency, where also the bypoll is being conducted, are inoperative.

At Jakpur under the Ranaghat-Dakshin constituency in Nadia district, a local camp office of the BJP was ransacked allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress. BJP leaders alleged even the food packets stored at the camp office for the party workers were taken away by the miscreants.

Meanwhile, the average polling percentage in the four constituencies in the first six hours till 1 p.m. was recorded at 38.15, which CEO insiders said is high compared to the average standards in by-elections.

The highest polling percentage has been recorded from the Ranaghat-Dakshin constituency at 42.19, followed by Raiganj at 41.38, Bagda at 35.66 and Maniktala at 33.37.