West Bengal Panchayat Election LIVE: 6 Dead in Poll Violence; Ballot Boxes Set on Fire, Papers Thrown in Pond

One woman candidate of BJP was allegedly beaten up at a booth in Duttapukur area of 24 North Parganas district's Kadmbagachi when she was trying to enter a booth. The miscreants also "threatened to kill" her.

#WestBengal: Five local journalists injured after violence, following booth capturing in Birpara, allegedly by TMC workers. #PanchayatElection pic.twitter.com/qv18fyEAhy

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018

#WestBengal: Five local journalists injured after violence, following booth capturing in Birpara, allegedly by TMC workers. #PanchayatElection pic.twitter.com/qv18fyEAhy

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018

Highly condemnable & deplorable, it signifies that culture of political violence under TMC has engulfed entire #WestBengal & it is an alarming sign for democracy: Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP on violence during #PanchayatElection pic.twitter.com/Qvjk3iZCIK

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018

The loss of lives continue in West Bengal as a sixth person has died. A student, identified as Soujit Pramanik, was alleged lynched to death by villagers in Nadia district's Shantipur. The deceased, who was associated with TMC, had reportedly gone to capture a booth along with two workers, which enraged the local residents. His family claims that he had joined TMC "in hope of bagging a job".

At least 20 people have been injured after a crude bomb explosion in Amdanga's Sadhanpur in North 24 Parganas, reports news agency ANI.

Enraged over an attempt to disrupt the process of democracy by political activists, villagers beat a work for booth capturing in Kanksa in Durgapur. The worker is reportedly from TMC. Meanwhile, 26% of voting has been recorded till 11 am.

Ballot papers thrown in a pond after a clash that broke out between TMC and BJP workers in Murshidabad, following which voting has been stopped.

#WestBengal: Ballot papers thrown in a pond after a clash that broke out between TMC & BJP in Murshidabad. Following which voting has been stopped for now. #PanchayatElection pic.twitter.com/0kcQSz4izl

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018

Booth number 180 of North 24 Parganas's Amdanga Panchpota has been allegedly captured and people are not being allowed to vote. A CPI(M) was also killed during bombing in the area and two others were injured. Another TMC worker, Arif Ali, was shot dead in South 24 Parganas, while a BJP worker was killed in Murshidabad.

As clashes broke between Congress and BJP workers in Malda district's Ratua, a group of voters approached media personnel and said that miscreants were roaming with pistols and a man, who had gone out to vote, was held at gunpoint by them. They said that they are forced to "boycott" voting as it is "unsafe" for them to go to violence-hit booths.

A girl in her 20s was injured by an arrow in East Midnapore district's Keshpur as bombing and violence continues in the area. TMC polling agents were also allegedly beaten up. Enraged at political parties for disrupting polling, villagers set afire several motorcycles of political workers in Nadia.

RECAP | Two days before the panchayat election in the state, police arrested three persons including two BJP leaders for allegedly possessing Rs 10 lakh in cash in the district. Superintendent of Police Avaru Rabindranath said the three were arrested from a hotel here and the unaccounted cash has been seized. The arrested persons included BJP Jalpaiguri district secretary Shubhankar Ghosh and Alipurduar district leader Raju Ghosh. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the money belonged to the party and it would be informed to the state Election Commission.

[IN PICS] Around 12.2% voting has been recorded in #BengalPanchayatPolls even as political violence continues to spread. Bengal development minister Rabindranath Ghosh slaps a worker at Natabari booth. State election commission seeks report#LIVE: https://t.co/Wm4fJiuy28 pic.twitter.com/UiYW5HdAlE

— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 14, 2018

"I have not slapped him. I just tried to stop him as he was trying to escape with ballot box," TMC Minister Rabindranath Ghosh tells CNN-News18.

#BengalPanchayatPolls -- I have not slapped him. I just tried to stop him as he was trying to escape with ballot box: TMC Minister Rabindranath Ghosh tells CNN-News18#LIVE: https://t.co/dY896nnxXI pic.twitter.com/O3EPjlIqtu

— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 14, 2018

BJP workers allegedly chop off a finger of TMC worker, while 14 Trinamool members were beaten up by saffron party leaders in Nandigram's Satengabari. Transport Minister Subhendu Adhikari blamed BJP for the clash, adding that the situation is under control presently and "TMC will win by a huge margin".

Bengal development minister Rabindranath Ghosh slaps a worker at Natabari booth. State election commission seeks report.

Armed TMC activists have allegedly captured several booths, From booths number 38 to 54 and 56 to 58 of Amjhara GP, Basanti Block and South 24 Paraganas, all have been captured while Left front polling polling agents have been driven out. Two BJP candidates along with polling agent were reportedly beaten up in  Tarakeshwar.

Four people have been arrested as incidents of firing have been reported in Uluberia. Miscreants allegedly hurled a bomb at police. In Jalpaiguri's Dhupguri, eight people have been injured during clashes between TMC and BJP leaders.

Miscreants continue to attack booths. Now, an alleged TMC worker set a ballot box on fire at a booth in Jalpaiguri, while at booth number 192 in Rajarhat's Kasinathpur area, workers pour water on ballot boxes. Two policemen have also been locked inside a room allegedly by BJP workers in Rajarhat booth. There are also reports of gun-wielding masked men "standing beside police" and "terrorising voters" inside a booth in Panskura area of East Midnapore. State election commission has asked for a report. 

Even as 12.2% turnout was recorded till 9 am, voting was stopped at a booth in East Mindapore's Contai after the polling station was ransacked. A police team has been rushed to the spot. Another incident of violence has been reported in Mandirbazar area of South 24 Parganas district where a TMC panchayat candidate and his brother were attacked by alleged BJP and CPM workers. Injured TMC candidate Gobinda Halder and his brother Balai Halder have been referred to a hospital in Kolkata after their condition deteriorated.

As the tension prevails amid voting, media cars have been ransacked and stopped by goons from entering Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district. Only two armed personnel can be seen here, while others at the booths are volunteers.  Miscreants can be spotted roaming around with guns.

In North-24 Parganas’s Bagda area, a section of alleged TMC allegedly thrashed local villagers for 'booth capturing'. However, state agriculture minister Jyotipriya Mallik claimed that they were not his party workers but "came from Bangladesh on BJP's order" to capture booths in bordering areas. "Nearly 300 goons came from Bangladesh to help BJP in winning the elections. BSF has totally failed to prevent them from entering India,” Mallik said. Meanwhile, in a welcoming move amid violence, TMC candidate Roshna Bibi was seen helping voters to cast their votes inside a booth in Burdwan’s Purbasthali.

In the wake of violence,  Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says, "I would like to request all to maintain peace." A journalist and a photo journalist of a regional TV channel were assaulted allegedly by the Trinamool Congress workers at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas. Their car was also ransacked. It is learnt that they were attacked after they went to Gazipur area in Bhangar to cover a booth capturing incident.

In North 24 Parganas, the BJP accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of letting loose a reign of terror in several parts of the district, especially in Amdanga area. A few people were injured when clashes broke out between two groups, SEC sources said. Senior minister Jyotipriyo Mullick denied the involvement of the TMC in the incident and accused BJP of terrorising the voters. In Dinhata area of Coochbehar district in North Bengal, a few voters were injured after clashes broke out between two groups outside a polling station, the sources said. The voters later on lodged a police complaint. Violence was reported in Burdwan districts too. The opposition CPI(M) and BJP had accused the TMC of terrorising voters and hurling bombs outside polling stations. The TMC has termed the allegations as baseless.

As @AITCofficial goons go on a rampage murdering democracy in Bengal, our Comrades keep on fighting on the ground. Glimpses of today's campaign at parts of #Bankura. The #Resistance is on!#TMCjungleRaj#TMCLootspanchayets pic.twitter.com/Bd85wnLr5U

— CPI(M) WEST BENGAL (@CPIM_WESTBENGAL) May 14, 2018

#AskDidi Day 5. In the recently concluded Biswas Bangla Summit more than 2 Lakh Crores of investments were promised for Bengal. How much has transformed that into reality? The jobless youth of Bengal wants to know. pic.twitter.com/dk4W64lmPS

— West Bengal Congress (@INCWestBengal) May 13, 2018

Thanks. Fair question. Three big reasons. (1) Weak, and in some cases non- existent, organisational structure of the BJP-CPIM-Cong at the grassroots level (2) Massive development and social sector projects implemented across #Bengal in 7 years (3) The gravitas of @MamataOfficial https://t.co/QlKSTCefHT

— Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) May 14, 2018

With 40 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats located in the districts, political parties are viewing today's event as a warm up match ahead of 2019 general elections.  "The polling started at 7 in the morning," an official said. Polling will end at 5 pm. The counting will take place on May 17. It is the last major polls in the state before the next year's Lok Sabha elections. The filing of nominations, which was held from April 2 to April 9 and then again on an extended date on April 23, was marked by violence and clashes between the ruling TMC and opposition parties that led to several deaths. Although top leaders of all parties campaigned for the polls, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refrained from it.

CPI(M) and his wife burnt to death.

ভোট শুরুর আগেই কাকদ্বীপে সিপিএম কর্মী ও তাঁর স্ত্রীকে পুড়িয়ে খুনের অভিযোগ

cpim-worker-and-his-wife-burnt-to-deathhttps://t.co/N8o1mrKPi9 pic.twitter.com/Z5g97oqdXi

— News18Bangla (@News18Bengali) May 14, 2018

There were reports of overnight clashes in several parts of Bengal ahead of the crucial panchayat polls in the state. Violence was reported in West Midnapore, Malda and South and North 24 Parganas. Two people were killed in West Midnapore and one in Malda.