The seventh and final phase of elections in West Bengal witnessed widespread violence on Sunday, amid allegations of electoral malpractices, rigging and EVM malfunctioning.
A turnout of 72.91% was recorded till 5 p.m. in the nine Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls in the State.
While in the morning, technical glitches, primarily malfunctioning of the EVMs, slowed the voting process, in the afternoon, violence marred polling.
Crude bombs were hurled in the Raidighi Assembly segment of the Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency and in Deganga in the Barasat constituency. In Newtown in Barasat, crude bombs were found in two plastic containers.
Mamata’s plaint
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who cast her vote at Mitra Institution in south Kolkata, expressed displeasure over the role of Central forces during the polling process.
“The way the BJP has used the Central forces to torture [the people], I have never seen anything like this before,” she told presspersons.
Trinamool candidate from Barasat Kakuli Ghosh Dastidar and South Kolkata nominee Mala Roy expressed displeasure with the Central forces deployed at the booths. Both the leaders were seen having an argument with the jawans.
The Election Commission deployed 710 companies of Central armed police forces, which were to provide 100% static postings at all the 17,058 polling booths. In addition, 461 quick response teams were on call.
Despite the high deployment, there was no respite from the violence, witnessed in the earlier phases too. The vehicle of Nilanjan Ray, BJP’s candidate for Diamond Harbour, was attacked at Budge Budge. Mr. Roy alleged that Trinamool supporters were responsible. Fuad Halim, the CPI(M) candidate from Diamond Harbour, said that at several booths, his polling agents were driven out.
The stakes are high in Diamond Harbour where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee is contesting. Anupam Hazra, the BJP candidate from Jadavpur, and another party leader accompanying him were attacked and the latter’s car was damaged allegedly by Trinamool workers after the BJP functionaries visited a booth in the area.
There was tension in north Kolkata, where a few crude bombs were hurled. BJP candidate from Kolkata North Rahul Sinha said the violence was an attempt to divert the attention of the media and security forces.
CPI(M) candidate Koninika Ghosh sat on the road in Belgachia protesting that her polling agent was driven out.
BJP candidate from Basirhat Sayantan Basu alleged malpractices. Mr. Basu said people blocked the Basanti highway demanding adequate protection for them to vote.
In certain booths, there were allegations of people entering the voting compartment and trying to influence voters.