Kolkata: Sporadic incidents of violence marred the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls in the nine parliamentary constituencies, as TMC and BJP workers clashed in various parts of violence-prone Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour constituencies.
Although the poll panel has claimed that the polling has been peaceful so far, it said it has received 1,450 complaints until 11am from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths.
Around 28.10 per cent of over 1.63 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling to nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal Saturday, an Election Commission official said.
Clashes broke out between supporters of the TMC, ISF and the BJP in Jadavpur constituency as both parties clashed over stopping polling agents from entering the booths.
A confrontation erupted in Bhangar within the Jadavpur constituency between backers of Trinamool Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), with allegations of crude bombs being hurled from both sides.
Police intervention ensued, triggering protests as both factions accused each other.
To quell the situation, security personnel resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the mob, recovering several crude bombs.
Angry voters of Kultuli within Joynagar constituency took drastic measures by hurling electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VV-PAT) machines into nearby waterbodies. Their actions were fueled by feelings of electoral misconduct, reflecting their frustration over perceived voting restrictions.
The incident in Ward 127 where BJP candidate Ashok Kandari levelled accusations against opposition representatives, alleging their interference with the poll proceedings.
Trinamool Congress supporters have accused the ISF of orchestrating the violence to intimidate voters. Prompt action from local law enforcement led to lathi charges and the arrest of suspects in the Polerhat area of Bhangar.
PTI