'Election in Bengal is marred with violence; It is a shame'

Rediff.com’s Indrani Roy tracks the developments in West Bengal where 17 Lok Sabha seats are polling in the last phase.

News of sporadic violence is pouring in from various corners of West Bengal, where 17 constituencies are polling on Monday.

At booth number 131, Barackpore, a Communist Party of India-Marxist polling agent Soma Basu was reportedly beaten up by Trinamool supporters.

Speaking to rediff.com over phone, Basu said, "I cast my vote around 9.30 am and then went to relieve the other CPI-M agent on duty. All of a sudden, a group of Trinamool Congress supporters pounced on me. They dragged me and beat me black and blue.”

"The central forces and police on duty were busy having their breakfast; they did not do anything. We have registered complaints with the District Magistrate and other authorities, but don't know if the offenders will be punished.”

"When elections in rest of the country have been more and less peaceful, in Bengal it is marred with violence. It is a shame," Basu added.

Above is a video of violence at Haroa locality in North 24 Parganas’ Basirhat municipality where 21 people were reportedly shot at as they came out to vote on Monday morning.

• Complete Coverage: Election 2014

Video Courtesy: Dipak Chakraborty