Kolkata, Apr 23 (PTI) West Bengal recorded brisk polling on Thursday with over 62 per cent of the 3.60 crore electors in the first phase of the Assembly elections exercising their franchise till 1 pm amid sporadic incidents of violence, voter intimidation and assault on a BJP candidate.
Polling in 16 districts that began at 7 am on Thursday will decide the electoral fate of 1,478 candidates, including 167 women, in 152 constituencies of the 294-strong state Assembly.
Braving hot and humid conditions, voters queued up in large numbers outside polling booths since morning, with voting picking up pace as the hours progressed.
The voter turnout was 18.76 per cent in the first two hours, and it slowly gathered pace, reaching 41.11 per cent at 11 am and 62.18 per cent at 1 pm, according to the Election Commission.
District-wise data showed Paschim Medinipur leading in voter turnout at 65.77 per cent, followed by Jhargram at 65.31 per cent, and Bankura at 64 per cent. A relatively lower turnout was recorded in Malda, 58.45 per cent, Cooch Behar, 60.75 per cent, and Alipurduar, 60.03 per cent.
Around 450 complaints were received by the poll panel till noon, while another 375 were lodged through the cVIGIL app, officials said.
Even as officials said the polling was largely peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence across districts lent a familiar edge to Bengal’s electoral theatre. The Elections Commission has sought reports from officials on the violence.
In Dakshin Dinajpur’s Kumarganj, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was manhandled while on his way to a polling booth after reports of disturbances. Sarkar alleged that he was beaten up in the presence of the police and that his vehicle was vandalised. The TMC, however, alleged that Sarkar had tried to create unrest near a booth, leading to protests by locals.
In Murshidabad’s Naoda, clashes broke out between supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the TMC, with central forces resorting to a baton charge to disperse mobs after vehicles were vandalised and stones were hurled.
Tension had been building since the morning when AJUP chief Humayun Kabir visited a polling booth and faced protests from TMC supporters. Kabir later accused the ruling party of intimidation and malpractice, while the TMC rejected the charges and condemned the violence.
Birbhum’s Labhpur witnessed tension after a BJP polling agent of candidate Debashis Ojha sustained head injuries following an assault, triggering unrest in the area.
Clashes between the Congress and TMC workers left at least two people injured in Murarai, adding to tensions in the district. The TMC denied the allegations.
In Malda’s Chanchal, a BJP polling agent was allegedly assaulted at a booth and had his clothes torn, party sources said.
The BJP’s Suri candidate Jagannath Chattopadhyay accused a TMC councillor of attempting to influence voters near a polling station, leading to a heated exchange. The ruling party denied the allegation.
Tensions gripped Murshidabad’s Domkal in the morning, where locals alleged they were prevented from reaching polling booths. The EC sought a report and deployed security forces to escort voters.
In Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga, a war of words broke out between TMC and BJP leaders over alleged violation of the model code of conduct. Both sides accused each other of influencing voters near polling booths before security forces intervened.
Clashes were also reported from Purba Medinipur’s Moyna after slogan-shouting by supporters of rival parties led to panic among voters before Central forces intervened.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, after casting his vote in Nandigram, exuded confidence that the BJP would put up a strong performance and alleged that “TMC-sheltered criminals” were intimidating voters.
The TMC hit back, accusing the BJP of attempting to disrupt peaceful polling and alleging bias in the conduct of some officials. A party delegation approached the chief electoral officer over the matter.
Senior TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, who voted in Birbhum, described the polling as peaceful and urged voters to remain calm.
The first phase covers all 54 seats in north Bengal, along with key constituencies in south Bengal and Junglemahal — regions central to the BJP’s expansion plans and the TMC’s bid to retain dominance. PTI SCH PNT AMR SMY PNT NSD
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