West Bengal sees 69.29% voter turnout till 5 pm in by-polls marred by sporadic violence- The Week

Amid sporadic violence, six assembly constituencies in West Bengal where by-elections were held on Wednesday recorded 69.29 percent voter turnout till 5 pm. Taldangra in Bankura district had the highest turnout at 75.20 percent, while Naihati in North 24 Parganas saw the lowest with 61.10 percent.

In Cooch Behar’s Sitai, the voting percentage was 66.35, whereas in North 24 Parganas’ Haroa the figure stood at 73.95. Paschim Medinipur district’s Medinipur and Alipurduar’s Madarihat reported voter turnouts of 71.85 percent and 66.35 percent, respectively.

During the by-elections, there were reports of scattered incidents of violence throughout the day. In Cooch Behar district’s Sitai constituency, Trinamool has accused BJP candidate Dipak Kumar Roy of attempting to incite tension, alleging that he forcefully went inside a polling booth.

Roy, however, countered these claims by alleging that the first two buttons on the EVM were covered with tape. He further accused the presiding officer and poll workers of “negligence”.

In another incident, a local BJP leader, Bablu Ghosh, in Medinipur was allegedly attacked by TMC-backed miscreants while accompanying the party’s polling agent to a booth. The situation reportedly escalated after TMC workers confronted them, leading to a dispute and an assault on Ghosh.

In the Madarihat constituency of Alipurduar district, BJP candidate Rahul Lohar’s vehicle was reportedly stoned by alleged TMC supporters while he was visiting local party workers. However, the ruling party denied this claim, attributing the incident to the frustration of local residents.

A polling agent from the Indian Secular Front (ISF) was reportedly assaulted by alleged TMC workers in the Haroa constituency of North 24 Parganas district. ISF candidate Piyarul Islam, who is contesting in alliance with the Left Front, further accused the TMC of election rigging.

Meanwhile, in North 24 Parganas’ Bhatpara, neighbouring Naihati, a local leader from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was reportedly shot dead. The TMC leader, Ashok Shaw, was at a tea stall near the Bhatpara police station when attackers opened fire on him and simultaneously threw bombs in the vicinity.

The ruling party has accused local BJP leader and former MP Arjun Singh of masterminding the attack. The saffron party, on the other hand, has blamed infighting within the TMC. Singh said that criminals in the area work under the patronage of the local police.