Kolkata, Oct 7 (PTI) A voter turnout of 80.48 per cent was recorded in the by-elections to West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies, with the Election Commission describing polling as “more or less peaceful”.
Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district recorded 80.89 per cent turnout, while 80.08 per cent voting was registered in Murshidabad’s Rejinagar, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Polling in both constituencies was held on Tuesday, with around 5.24 lakh electors eligible to vote.
The polling in Rejinagar was marred by allegations of booth-related irregularities, with the opposition Congress and CPI(M) and Mamata AITC claiming that their polling agents were prevented from entering or forced out of several booths.
State Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar alleged that party agents were forcibly evicted from more than 100 booths. Party candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi staged a sit-in outside the Rejinagar police station demanding cancellation of the poll.
Mamata AITC candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury also sought repolling, claiming that only 25 to 30 of his party’s 315 polling agents remained at their booths.
DTC candidate Safiuzzaman Sheikh and CPI(M) also alleged that their agents were not allowed to enter several booths.
The BJP rejected the allegations of booth capturing and malpractice, accusing the opposition of attempting to discredit the electoral process.
The arrest of AJUP chief Humayun Kabir following a confrontation with police also cast a shadow over polling in Rejinagar.
An official at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office said a report had been sent to the EC on the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
In Nandigram, Congress candidate Milan Pradhan alleged “vote-loot, voters’ intimidation and biased action of the police and security forces”.
Pradhan, who is out on interim bail in cases linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation, claimed police restricted his movement and CRPF personnel beat him in front of senior officers.
The by-election in Nandigram was necessitated as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari gave up the seat to retain Bhabanipur, while Kabir resigned from Rejinagar, forcing the bypoll, as he retained Naoda.
The votes will be counted on October 9. PTI SCH SOM
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