Isolated incidents of violence marred the second round of the first phase 1 polling, which was held across 31 constituencies in the districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Burdwan on Monday.
Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra faced angry protests from the Trinamul Congress at a number of places when he visited polling booths as the party candidate in his Narayangarh Assembly constituency. In some areas, Mr Mishra was prevented from entering some of the booths and a scuffle ensued in his presence between TMC and CPI(M) workers.
Brushing aside allegations that he remained absent in his own constituency, Mr Mishra said the ruling Trinamul Congress was “angry” because of his presence. “I can see why they are angry. We had complained to the chief electoral officer about electoral malpractice in 23 booths. We have not seen such violence since 1977. After 1977, this is the second time I am going from booth to booth for the Assembly polls. They are angry because I am here. And since I complained, the number of electoral malpractice in booths have come down to four,” Mr Mishra said.
Clashes between the Trinamul Congress and the CPI(M) erupted outside polling stations in Burdwan’s Jamuria and West Midnapore’s Ghatal. Two persons were arrested in connection with the clash and seven were injured in Jamuria.
In West Midnapore’s Keshpur, two CPI(M) and two TMC workers were injured in a similar clash. In Bankura’s Bishnupur Assembly constituency, a person named Anarul Mondal was arrested after he allegedly assaulted Congress worker Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya.
In West Midnapore’s Keshpur, a female CPI(M) polling agent was allegedly threatened by TMC workers, while two CPI(M) agents were obstructed from entering booth numbers 76 and 77 of Jamuria seat in Burdwan district. One of the agents sustained head injuries after he was beaten up allegedly by TMC workers. The injured person was taken to the nearest primary health centre while a Trinamul Congress worker, Sheikh Shamser, was arrested in this connection. Bombs were found in two bags near another booth in the same constituency.
In another incident, a third polling officer died of a heart attack at polling booth number 234 under Pandaveswar Assembly seat in Burdwan district. Parimal Bauri, who was a resident of Jamuria, died inside the booth.
In Burdwan’s Kuti, a first polling officer was removed following a complaint that a person was showing an elderly woman where to cast her vote. In Bankura’s Sonamukhi municipality, a person was seen walking with firearms while some persons, with sticks in their hands and faces covered with cloth, were seen intimidating voters in Onda area of the same district.
