Amid incidents of violence that left one person dead and several injured, West Bengal saw over 67% votes cast in 62 constituencies yesterday in the third phase of assembly elections.
Election Commission officials have received over 1,500 complaints, including those of violence, voter intimidation and disruption of the poll process. At least 47 people were held in the metropolis itself.
The constituencies that went to polls yesterday included 22 in Murshidabad, 17 in Nadia, 16 in Burdwan districts and seven in north Kolkata. Yesterday’s balloting marked the second and final round of voting in Burdwan, where nine constituencies went to the polls on April 11.
Amid sweltering heat, incidents of violence were reported in Murshidabad, Nadia and Burdwan districts, leaving one dead and several others injured.
Tahidul Islam, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) activist, was killed when crude bombs were hurled at him in Domkal in Murshidabad district.
While the Election Commission sought a report on the incident, CPM leader Anisur Rahaman blamed the Trinamool Congress for the killing, but the ruling party denied the charge.
Trinamool’s Domkal nominee Soumik Hossain claimed the death was the result of a clash between the CPM and Congress Party supporters.
Besides, at least four others were attacked in Domkal allegedly for casting their votes.
“Last night, some people threatened me not to vote but I chose to ignore that. When I was returning after casting my vote, I was attacked,” said one of the injured who was admitted to a hospital.
Whistle-blower former Indian Police Service officer Nazrul Islam, who too is contesting from Domkal, accused the election watchdog of being “intentionally incompetent.”
“The EC has chosen to be intentionally incompetent; the reason being a tacit understanding between the ruling parties at the Centre (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the state (Trinamool),” added Islam, a candidate of the Mulnibasi Party floated by him.
Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that central security forces were “absent” in many places in Murshidabad and said complaints to the EC have been made about the “district administration’s biased role towards the Trinamool.”
Reports of violence were also received from Ketugram in Burdwan district where three people were injured after crude bombs were hurled near a polling booth.
Several crude bombs were also seized from near a booth at Saguna in Nadia district.
Voters in Chakdaha in Nadia district alleged they were “prevented from voting by Trinamool goons.”
At least four people were injured in Mangalkote of Burdwan with Trinamool’s Siddiqullah Chowdhury accusing the CPM for the attack.
Complaints of voter intimidation and scuffles between rival political activists were also received from several booths in Kolkata, including Beliaghta and Entally. A journalist was among the injured.
At least 47 people have been arrested from the city, said a Kolkata police officer.
Both the CPM and the Congress alleged their polling agents were assaulted and driven out in several booths. Booth-capturing and voter intimidation took place in a number of areas, they said.
Over 13.7mn voters were eligible to elect their legislators across 16,461 polling stations, including 10 auxiliary booths, from among 418 candidates, including 34 women.
Of the 62 constituencies that went to the polls yesterday, Trinamool and Congress had captured 29 and 16 seats respectively five years ago.
Among the Left Front partners, the CPM won 14, and Revolutionary Socialist Party, Samajwadi Party and All India Forward Bloc, one each.
The ruling Trinamool and the BJP are contesting all 62 constituencies in the third phase.
The Left Front-Congress alliance is contesting in all the 62 constituencies. But the Congress nominees are also clashing with those from the Left Front in 11 seats - 10 in Murshidabad and one in Nadia.
Among the major candidates in the third phase are state ministers and Trinamool contestants Rabiranjan Chattopadhyay, Sashi Panja, Sadhan Pandey, former state minister and CPM candidates Anisur Rahaman and Debesh Das, Congress legislature party leader Mohamed Sohrab and former state party president Somendranath Mitra, and BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.