Over 67 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first eight hours of fourth phase of the West Bengal assembly elections on 49 constituencies of Howrah and North 24 Parganas district. The polling began at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m.
“While about 67.27 per cent of poling was recorded in North 24 Parganas till 3 p.m. in Howrah about 67.28 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the same period,” an EC official said.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and candidate Tanmoy Bhattacharya (North Dum Dum) sustained injuries in his hand when his car was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists. Three persons were arrested in connection with the incident.
BJP’s Uttar Howrah candidate >Roopa Ganguly, alleged widespread booth-capturing and electoral malpractices at various polling booths. Ms Ganguly got into an altercation with local TMC supporters at a majority of booth she visited.
Accusing her of influencing voters and disrupting the poll process, the TMC contender Lakshmi Ratan Shukla said a complaint has been filed against her with EC. He accused Ms Ganguly of forcibly entering poling booth and clicked pictures with her mobile camera".
At Domjur in Howrah Left Front-Congress alliance backed I candidate Pratima Dutta, wife of murdered green activist Tapan Dutta, alleged her polling agents were driven out or not allowed to enter the booths in the constituency.
There was an unprecedented security arrangement in the Salt Lake Rajarhat area and there were no instances of violence reported. State’s Agriculture Minister Purnendu Basu contesting from Rajarhat- Gopalpur constituency was seen arguing with central forces on why autos were not plying in certain areas.
A bomb attack was reported from a booth in Belgharia's Jatin Das Nagar while in Halishar a family of CPI(M) supporter including a three and half year child was allegedly attacked.
While 33 constituencies. Are going to polls in North 24 Parganas the remaining 16 are in Howrah district.
Over 1.08 crore voters across 12,481 polling stations, including 27 auxiliary booths, are eligible to decide the fate of 345 candidates, including 40 women.
