Kolkata, An estimated 37.8 per cent polling was recorded in Cooch Behar and 43.2 per cent in Alipurduar till 1200 hours on Thursday in the first of the seven-phase election to two North Bengal seats.
Voting process in a number of polling stations in Cooch Behar was temporarily disrupted for sometime as EVM machines stopped working.TMC minister Rabindranath Ghosh has alleged that central forces are interfering in the polling process.
Mr Ghosh was leaving the polling booth after casting his vote in Cooch Behar when he got into an altercation with a BSF soldier.He questioned the soldier for entering the booth.
The minister also alleged that the soldier threatened him.He also alleged a conspiracy and said he had complained to the District Magistrate.
“How can so many EVMs go bad? We smell a conspiracy. I have tried to complain to the Election Commission but they are not reachable. So I have informed the District Magistrate,” Mr Ghosh said.
On the other hand BJP candidate Nisith Pramanik claimed that in the Sitai 6/257 and 258 polling booths of Coochbehar Lok Sabha constituency widespread rigging is being witnessed.He alleged that the police looked helpless in front of TMC men armed with rods and machetes.
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