Kolkata: Amid continuing reports of poll-related tension and violence surfacing from different pockets in West Bengal on Saturday, the average polling percentage for the nine Lok Sabha constituencies till 9 a.m. was recorded at a moderate of 12.94, slightly higher than the national average of 11.39.
As per statistics available from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, Basirhat recorded the maximum polling percentage at 15.66 followed by Diamond Harbour at 14.16, Mathurapur at 13.54, Jadavpur at 13.46, Jaynagar at 13.13, Barasat at 12.94, Dum Dum at 10.46, Kolkata-Dakshin at 10.16 and finally Kolkata-Uttar at 8.92.
Polling is also underway for the Baranagar Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district and the polling percentage there in the first two hours has been reported at 11.
Sources in the CEO’s office said that till 9 a.m. they have received as many as 715 complaints. The maximum number of complaints has come from CPI(M) at 46, followed by BJP at 25 and six from Congress.
During the first two hours reports of poll-related tension surfaced from various pockets in the state. At Kultali under Jaynagar Lok Sabha, tension flared up following clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP activists. As many as six people were injured and three of them had to be admitted to a local hospital.
At Jadavpur, as the CPI(M) candidate Srijan Bhattacharya reached a particular booth, the situation became tense as the Trinamool Congress activists surrounded him and protested by raising slogans. While Bhattacharya accused the Trinamool Congress activists of threatening his polling agent, the ruling party leadership alleged that the CPI(M) candidate was unnecessarily creating tension in the area.
The situation flared up also at Bhangar under Jadavpur Lokk Sabha constituency following repeated clashes between Trinamool Congress and All India Secular Front (AISF) activists. Several individuals from both groups were injured in the clashes.
At Kolkata-Dakshin, the election agent of CPI(M) candidate Saira Shah Halim received head injuries after the ruling party activists pelted stones and bricks towards his vehicle and the glass windows of the vehicle were smashed.
(IANS)
