Sporadic incidents of violence took place in several parts of West Bengal since polling started on Sunday morning in seven civic bodies, including five municipalities, one municipal corporation and one Notified Area that is a settlement area in transition from rural to urban. While Opposition parties alleged that ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadre were behind the violence, the TMC leadership denied the allegations. Till 7.15 p.m. 77.3% votes were polled. However, this figure is likely to increase as some voters were still in queue.
Polls are being held for the Durgapur Municipal Corporation in Paschim Bardhaman district, Dhupguri Municipality in Jalpaiguri district, Buniadpur Municipality in South Dinajpur district, Nalhati Municipality in Birbhum district, Haldia and Panskura Municipalities in the Purba Medinipur district, and the Coopers’ Camp Notified Area in Nadia district. Apart from these, by-polls are being held for one ward in the Jhargram Municipality of Jhargram district, and one ward in the Champdani Municipality of Hooghly district.
Most of the incidents of violence took place in the Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) area in Paschim Bardhaman district. Two police personnel were allegedly assaulted and a rifle was snatched by miscreants in the Kada Road area in Durgapur. A polling booth was also vandalised. In the afternoon, bombs were hurled near a polling booth in Ward Number 13 in the Main Gate area.
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“Two personnel were assaulted and are severely injured. We have got information that there were some people [involved in the incident] who were Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters. The rifle has been recovered,” said a senior official of the Assansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate. He added that no one has been arrested so far.