Amid sporadic violence, KMC polls see 64% turnout
Amid sporadic violence, the turnout for the prestigious Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) poll logged 64% turnout till 5pm. In two separate incidents where crude bombs were hurled in north Kolkata’s Sealdah and Khanna and two voters were critically injured.
BJP candidate in ward 22 and sitting councillor Meena Devi Purohit was assaulted in her ward and BJP candidate Rajarshi Lahiri was brutally beaten up by the alleged TMC goons while he was live on facebook.
BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said the ruling Trinamool had ‘broken the democracy’ and ‘staged drama’ by conducting KMC polls through Kolkata and state police. The saffron camp agitated across the state after their candidates and cadres were allegedly heckled.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said, “Polling booth in ward 22 fully vandalised by TMC goons. BJP workers attacked. EVM machine smashed to the ground. BJP has been winning this ward time and again. Kolkata police is missing, so are EC officials. Well done, Mamata Banerjee. Looks like the humiliation of Tripura is hurting.”
In Brabourne Road and Shyambazar, the candidates of opposition parties protested after their polling agents were allegedly threatened and were removed from the booths. CPI(M) candidates were also heckled. Demanding repoll at over 9 booths under ward 127, CPI(M) chairman Biman Bose said the Left
Front will agitate and submit a memo to SEC on Monday.
The Joint CP said total 72 arrests were made. “There was news of damaging CCTV cameras and soon, things were fixed. Under Amherst Street police station in Sealdah a crude bomb was hurled injuring 3 people and a arrest was made,” he said.