Bengal records 63.11 pc polling till 3 p.m., violence escalates in last three hours

KOLKATA: The average voting percentage in West Bengal's four Lok Sabha seats was recorded at an impressive 63.11 per cent in the first eight hours till 3 p.m on Tuesday., as per the Chief Electoral Officer’s records.

Till 3 p.m. highest polling was recorded in Murshidabad at 65.40 per cent, followed by 62.90 per cent at Maldaha-Dakshin, 62.57 per cent at Jangipur and 61.50 per cent at Maldaha-Uttar.

However, sporadic incidents of violence marred the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state as Trinamool Congress, Congress and BJP workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats.

During the last couple of hours, major reports of clashes between Trinamool Congress and Left Front-Congress alliance workers were reported from Domkal in Murshidabad, which has a notorious tradition of reporting maximum poll-related violence in any election.

Similarly there had been reports of massive bombing by the supporters of the BJP and Trinamool Congress at Ratua in Malda District.

The BJP alleged that in the post-lunch period the ruling Trinamool Congress workers hurled crude bombs at Ratua to terrorise voters.

Similarly, at Sujapur in Malda District, a booth agent of Trinamool Congress was beaten up severely, allegedly by Congress activists.

The Congress candidate from Maldaha-Dakshin Isha Khan Chowdhury claimed that the Trinamool Congress was resorting to rumour-mongering as it had perceived that its defeat was definite from this constituency.

The Trinamool Congress candidate from the same constituency Shahnawaz Ali Raihan has alleged that the unprovoked attack took place within the booth in front of the CAPF personnel present there who stood as mute spectators.