Bombs hurled, cars smashed as TMC-BJP battle escalates
KOLKATA : Crude bombs rained down in some areas of Bengal that voted on Sunday, even as vehicles were smashed, stones pelted at security personnel and pitched political battles fought on the streets of the state capital.
The turnout for the nine seats stood at 73.51%, according to the Voter Turnout app of the Election Commission of India.
The final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the battleground state, which sends 42 members to the Lok Sabha, resembled the earlier six phases that were marked by violence and political clashes. Despite the EC deploying 710 companies of personnel, reports of violence poured in from all nine parliamentary and four assembly constituencies that went to polls.
In Kakinara hamlet in Bhatpara assembly constituency, Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party workers clashed with crude bombs and bricks. Three police vehicles were ransacked and one was overturned . A few shops in a market were set ablaze, prompting central forces to baton-charge miscreants.
The Bhatpara seat is a prestige fight because incumbent and four-time MLA, Arjun Singh, switched from the TMC to the BJP. Deputy election commissioner Sudeep Jain telephoned special central police observer Vivek Dube, special observer Ajay Nayak and chief electoral officer Aariz Aftab and asked them to control all violence.
TMC candidate from Barasat, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar alleged that central forces personnel tore banners of her party while chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans. “BJP workers along with central forces were carrying out atrocities, which I have never seen earlier,” said chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
BJP candidate from Diamond Harbour, Nilanjan Roy, alleged his car was vandalised. Another car, belonging to a local BJP leader, was vandalised in Kolkata. “Vote was rigged in all 51 booths here. State police and Mizoram Police were mute spectators,” alleged Anupam Hazra, BJP candidate from Jadavpur.
Two drums of crude bombs were found in New Town area, in Barasat. Crude bombs were hurled in Deganga, Raidighi and Kolkata.
A Quick Response Team came under attack in Haroa in Basirhat. Glitches in Electronic Voting Machines were reported from a number of areas including Dumdum, Tollygunge, Rajarhat, Chetla, Golpark, and Kestopur, among others.