Brisk polling in Bengal amid sporadic incidents of violence

Kolkata: Polling has picked up pace in the eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal where polling is being held on Monday, amid reports of tension and violence coming in for different pockets of the state.

Till 1 p.m., 51.87 per cent polling was recorded in Bengal, which was comparatively higher than the national average of 40.30 per cent, said sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

The highest turnout was seen in Bardhaman Purba at 55.87 per cent, followed by Bolpur (54.81 per cent), Ranaghat (52.70 per cent), Baharampur (52.27 per cent), Bardhaman-Durgapur (50.30 per cent), Krishnanagar (49.72 per cent), Birbhum (49.63 per cent), and Asansol (49.55 per cent).

At Manteswar in East Burdwan district, the convoy of BJP nominee from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency, Dilip Ghosh, was allegedly attacked by a group of Trinamool Congress workers, in which a window of Ghosh’s car was smashed.

Ghosh's supporters also retaliated, leading to a clash between both sides in which a ruling party supporter was reportedly injured.

“Trinamool Congress is trying to control the polling process here by unleashing anti-social elements. The state police are standing as mute spectators,” Ghosh alleged after the incident.

The Election Commission has sought a detailed report on the matter.

Earlier, there was tension in front of a booth at Nanur in Birbhum district with the BJP alleging forceful eviction of its polling agent from the booth by Trinamool workers.

The BJP also alleged that armed ruling party workers were threatening the voters since Monday morning.

At Suri, a temporary camp office of the BJP was allegedly demolished by Trinamool supporters.

At Barwan under the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency, clashes were reported between Trinamool Congress and Congress workers.

State Congress President and five-time sitting MP from Baharampur, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said that although the ruling party workers tried to create tension in the area, timely intervention by the CEO's office led to prompt action by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel.

In Baharampur, Chowdhury is seeking re-election against former India all-rounder and Trinamool nominee Yusuf Pathan, and BJP's Nirmal Kumar Saha.

There was also tension in the Kulti under the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency after the CAPF personnel tried to remove Trinamool flags hoisted within 200-metre radius of a polling booth.