Kolkata: The eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal recorded a high voter turnout at 70.19 per cent in the sixth phase polling on Saturday.
Such a high polling percentage till 3 p.m. was despite constant flooding reports of poll-related tension and violence from different pockets in the state since the first hour.
While till 1 p.m. such reports of tension and violence were restricted mainly to Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency in East Midnapore district, Medinipur and Ghatal constituency in West Midnapore district, similar reports started coming from the tribal-dominated Jhargram constituency during the last couple of hours.
After the BJP candidate from Jhargram Pranat Tudu reached a village at Garbeta, suddenly a group of around 200 Trinamool Congress activists which included women blocked his vehicle. First, they started staging protests by shouting ‘go-back’ slogans and then suddenly some of the protesters started pelting stones and bricks at his vehicle.
The attack was so sudden that even the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel escorting Tudu got unnerved initially. The glass window of Tudu’s vehicle got smashed and he himself received minor injuries on his head. The CAPF somehow escorted him out of the place and took him to a primary health centre where he was provided with first-aid.
As per the latest report available, the BJP candidate from Tamluk and the former judge of the Calcutta High Court Abhijit Gangopadhyay has started staging a protest at Myona, alleging unnecessary harassment of his party workers there.
At Debra under Ghatal Lok Sabha, tension mounted after a CAPF jawan was accused of molesting a local woman. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, which ordered his immediate removal from election duty. The CAPF jawan has also been arrested by the district police.
As per records of the CEO office, till 3 p.m., Bishnupur recorded the highest polling percentage of 73.55, followed by Jhargram at 73.26, Tamluk at 71, 63, Kanthi and Ghatal both at 71.34, Medinipur at 67.91, Bankura 67.41 and Purulia being lowest at 66.06
(IANS)
