Kolkata, May 13 (PTI) Scattered violence marred the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal’s eight parliamentary constituencies, with clashes between TMC and BJP workers resulting in injuries on both sides in Birbhum and Bardhaman-Durgapur seats, sources said.
The Election Commission, however, said the polls were peaceful across the state with a voter turnout of 75 per cent till 5 pm.
Around 1,700 complaints of EVM malfunction and obstruction of agents entering booths were recorded till 1pm, the EC said, adding the TMC, Congress, and BJP filed hundreds of complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on agents.
Bolpur (SC) Lok Sabha constituency registered the highest voter turnout of 77.77 per cent followed by Ranaghat (77.46 per cent), Bardhaman-Purba (77.36), Krishnanagar (77.29), Birbhum (75.45), Baharampur (75.36), Bardhaman-Durgapur (75.02) and Asansol (69.46), an official said.
Sources suggested the turnout percentage might increase further as long queues were seen outside polling booths in several areas even after the 6pm deadline of end of voting.
Out of the eight seats, Bolpur, Bardhaman-Purba, Birbhum and Krishnanagar were won by the TMC, whereas Bardhaman-Durgapur, Ranaghat and Asansol were bagged by the BJP and the Baharampur seat was retained by the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Clashes broke out between supporters of TMC and BJP in Monteswar’s Susunia area of Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat around noon, as BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh was on his way to a polling booth following complaints of booth jamming.
As Ghosh was on his way, TMC supporters blocked his convoy and squatted in front of his vehicle, starting a protest against him.
Stones were hurled at his convoy, following which some of the cars of the security personnel tailing his convoy were damaged.
Ghosh was also heckled by the TMC activists, sources claimed.
“Police are just mute spectators. The TMC has let loose a reign of terror. Since morning, TMC goons have beaten up our polling agents and are not allowing polling to be free and fair,” Ghosh told reporters.
Ghosh’s convoy was again targeted at Kalna gate in Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency.
Ghosh said he had gone to a booth there following allegations of TMC not allowing BJP’s booth agents.
Bricks were hurled at his convoy leading to serious injury of central police personnel deployed in his security, sources claimed.
“This is the second time that my convoy was attacked today. Two of my security personnel were injured and had to be taken to hospital for treatment,” Ghosh said.
The TMC, however, denied the charges and claimed Ghosh was “trying to vitiate the atmosphere sensing defeat.” In Durgapur area of the same constituency, clashes broke out between the TMC and the BJP, following which saffron activists staged a sit-in.
In Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency, BJP workers clashed with TMC activists in Nanoor after saffron party polling agents were allegedly stopped from entering booths.
The BJP alleged that their polling agents were forcibly ousted from a booth by Trinamool Congress members besides intimidating voters.
Tension prevailed in Chapra area of Krishnanagar constituency as BJP workers were allegedly beaten by TMC workers.
In some areas of Birbhum, TMC workers staged a protest following allegations that central forces were assisting BJP workers in intimidating voters.
Protests were witnessed in Chakdaha area of Ranaghat constituency as BJP MP and candidate Jagganath Sarkar faced protests by locals, who claimed that the MP was “nowhere to be seen in the last five years.” “He was nowhere to be seen in the last five years. Now as elections are on, he is here. That is why we are shouting go-back slogans. As we don’t want him here,” a protestor said.
Sarkar, however, denied the allegations and dubbed the protests as the handiwork of the TMC.
Despite the violence allegations, the state BJP remains hopeful of retaining all three seats and winning others that went to polls in the fourth phase.
“The TMC has let loose a reign of terror in the Lok Sabha seats sensing defeat. But we are hopeful of emerging victorious in this phase too,” said BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya.
The TMC, however, denied the allegations and accused the BJP of trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the polls.
“After polling in the last three phases, it is quite obvious that the BJP is not coming to power at the Centre. The opposition INDIA bloc would come to power,” TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said while addressing an election rally at Bongoan.
A total of 1,45,30,017 voters — 73,84,356 men, 71,45,379 women and 282 third-genders — are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,507 polling stations on Monday. PTI SCH SUS PNT MNB
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