KOLKATA: West Bengal recorded a high voter turnout of approximately 91.41percent till 6 pm in the second and final phase of Assembly elections across 142 constituencies on Wednesday, indicating a possible record participation, even as sporadic violence, intimidation and allegations of EVM tampering were reported from several districts.
Polling for 3,21,75,219 voters in seven districts saw around 80 percent turnout till 3 pm. Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) along with state police resorted to lathi charge in multiple areas to control unrest. Despite tensions, no major bloodshed or loss of life was reported till 6 pm. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had not ordered repolls in any of the nearly 41,000 polling stations till then.
The turnout trend suggested it could surpass the 93 percent recorded in the first phase held on April 23 across 152 seats in 16 districts. In comparison, the 2011 Assembly polls, which brought the Trinamool Congress to power, saw a turnout of 84.33 percent.
Violence and vandalism were reported from Chapra and Shantipur in Nadia, Khanakul in Hooghly, Bhangar and Basanti in South 24 Parganas, and areas such as Shyambazar, Ekbalpur and Bhabanipur in Kolkata, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
In Bhabanipur, tension flared when Trinamool Congress supporters led by Kajori Banerjee, local councillor and wife of Mamata Banerjee’s brother Kartik Banerjee, raised “Jai Bangla” slogans after Suvendu Adhikari reached the Jai Hind Bhaban polling booth on Harish Mukherjee Road.
A large contingent of CAPF and Kolkata Police was deployed within minutes after Suvendu called the Commission seeking immediate central force deployment. Central forces resorted to lathi charge and dispersed the agitating Trinamool supporters from lanes connecting Harish Mukherjee Road and Kalighat Road, a stronghold of the ruling party where the residences of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are located. The tension continued for nearly an hour till 1 pm, creating panic among voters waiting in queues.
In Entally, BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal had a spat with polling officers and security personnel after her representative was asked to leave a booth due to lack of space. A Trinamool representative also joined the argument and both were told to leave. "See how irked they are. They have 10 people inside to get a button pressed." she said.
In Chapra, a BJP polling agent, Mosharef Mir, was allegedly assaulted and admitted to a local hospital. Mir claimed more than a dozen Trinamool workers, one of whom had a gun, attacked him and hit him with a rod. BJP candidate Saikat Sarkar blamed Trinamool workers and said they “hit him on the head, causing injury”. A police case has been filed, while the Trinamool denied the allegation.
Reports of EVM malfunction also came from Howrah. BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged that Trinamool workers had taped over the BJP voting button in some booths.
"In several booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice. This is the so-called 'Diamond Harbour model' the same template that helped Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, secure his Lok Sabha seat," he said.
"We demand an immediate repoll in all affected booths... where such incidents have occurred," Malviya said.
In Shantipur, furniture at a BJP camp was vandalised, triggering tension. In Bhangar, allegations surfaced that a polling agent of the Indian Secular Front was prevented from entering a booth. A car belonging to BJP candidate Bikash Sardar in South 24 Parganas was also vandalised, with its rear windshield shattered.
After casting her vote at the Bhabanipur Mitra Institution polling booth around 4 pm, Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP and central forces. “Central forces unleashed terror at the behest of the BJP in the name of holding free and fare elections in the state. They have beat up and dragged out Trinamool Congress agents from polling booths in different districts across the state. They did not also children and women,” Mamata said.
Without taking names of the ECI, she said, “Is this a free and fair election. I have never seen such things in my life. We will win and come back to power again for fourth term despite terror unleashed by the central forces,” she said.
