7 West Bengal civic bodies see brisk polls
KOLKATA: Moderate to brisk polling for seven civic bodies in West Bengal was reported on Sunday, as the principal opposition parties, the Left Front, Congress and BJP, demanded scrapping of the “farcical” elections amid alleged violence and booth capturing in three municipalities.
A CPM leader claimed that at least four party workers were injured in poll violence.
Activists of the Congress and the Left Front, which forged an undeclared alliance for the civic polls, staged a noisy demonstration at the State Election Commission office here and resorted to a road blockade to protest against what they called “rampant looting of votes” by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The protest was held after the poll authorities allegedly refused to meet their leaders and accept their memorandum on complaints regarding voting in three municipalities of Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, Domkal in Murshidabad district, and Pujali in South 24 Parganas district.
The SEC officials promised to meet the Congress and Left representatives after the demonstrators broke through police barricades.
However, later the SEC authorities did not meet them citing their preoccupation with poll matters.
Later, Bharatiya Janata Party activists also demonstrated at the same spot, complaining against electoral malpractices.
In Domkal, Pujali and Raiganj, the Trinamool is up against an undeclared seat adjustment between the Congress and the Left Front.
Polling was, however, peaceful in four municipalities in northern Bengal hills — Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik Notified Area Authority in Darjeeling district, and Kalimpong in Kalimpong district.