ballot box thrown into the water
Ballot boxes were thrown into water in Hooghly district of the state. Residents of Dhamsa here allegedly witnessed a scuffle between TMC and BJP workers at a polling booth. After this, two ballot boxes were thrown into the pond. People allege that central forces have not been deployed at the centre. However, in South 24 Parganas, Shantipur witnessed polling since morning. A bomb was thrown at Bhangar in Hubli but it did not explode. After this the police threw the bomb into the water.
Ballot box set on fire
Violence was witnessed in the state from Murshidabad to Malda. In Cooch Behar, a man was seen running with a ballot box. Voters allegedly set ablaze a ballot box at a polling booth in Baranchina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district, angry over bogus voting. The situation was such that people scuffled with the security forces as well. Unidentified miscreants allegedly vandalized Booth 6/130, Barvita Primary School in Cooch Behar’s Sitai. Sitai’s first polling officer Ashok Rai told that last night at 2 o’clock some people of a party came and poured water in the ballot box. After this, people from another party came at 7 in the morning and vandalized the place.
From bombing, arson to murder
A booth agent of an independent candidate was allegedly murdered at Pirgacha in Kadambagachi gram panchayat of North 24 Parganas. After this, the people of the village demonstrated on the road demanding the arrest of the accused. Earlier people also pelted stones here. BJP candidate’s polling agent Madhav Biswas was killed when goons attacked a polling booth in Cooch Behar’s Falimari Gram Panchayat. After the injured candidate has been admitted to the hospital, polling at the booth has been stopped. Panchayat election candidate Maya Burman said that TMC goons hurled a bomb at my agent and killed him. He also attacked me.
This is not a public election: BJP
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the entire system in West Bengal is engaged in unconstitutional works. The government there neither respects the order of the Governor nor the order of the High Court. When the local police and administration themselves become biased and act politically, then it is not called a constitutional system. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that TMC goons and police are in collusion that is why so many killings are taking place. Mamta Banerjee is responsible for the violence. West Bengal BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that central forces came here but they were not sent to the booths. He said that such a situation was created that the entire election would be looted. One is the fight within TMC and second TMC people are attacking BJP and other parties… We cannot call it public election.
election by ballot not by bullet
Governor CV Anand Bose said that I am in the field since morning… People stopped my convoy and talked to me. He told about the happenings around him. People said that the goons were not allowing them to reach the polling station. He told that murders are happening around… It is a matter of concern… Election should be done through ballot box and not by bullet.
Cooch Behar: TMC people shot
In Cooch Behar, a worker of the Congress-CPIM alliance was shot allegedly by TMC men. He is undergoing treatment at Dinhata Sub-Divisional Hospital. He told, I was going out after having food, when the TMC leader shot me. I am a worker of Congress-CPIM, Congress-CPIM will get good votes here and TMC is doing this to stop people from voting for them but come what may I will definitely go to vote. The polling officer was also beaten up in Cooch Behar. A clash broke out between the miscreants and the police during the elections in Prasadpur Gram Panchayat of Murshidabad.