Clashes between the Aam Janata Unnayan Party and TMC supporters disrupted the West Bengal assembly elections, prompting police intervention and raising concerns about electoral malpractices.
Clashes broke out between supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress in Naoda area in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Thursday, prompting police and central forces to resort to baton charge to disperse the mob, officials said.
The violence was reported from Shibnagar village in the Naoda assembly constituency during the first phase of the state assembly polls.
Several incidents of vehicle vandalism were reported. Workers of Humayun Kabir's (AJUP) were accused of being involved in the disturbances, though he denied all the allegations.
Central forces resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control. The Election Commission has sought a report on the incident, the officials said.
Tension had been brewing since the morning when the AJUP chief visited a polling booth in the area after casting his vote.
Kabir was greeted with protests by TMC supporters, who raised "go back" slogans and surrounded his vehicle, branding him a "BJP agent".
The situation turned tense, with heated exchanges taking place between the two sides near the polling station.
The AJUP leader later staged a sit-in at the spot and accused the ruling party of intimidating voters and being involved in electoral malpractices.
Kabir also alleged that the TMC had bribed several of his party candidates to keep them out of the poll fray, a charge the ruling party did not immediately respond to.
The officials said the situation escalated later in the day when clashes broke out between supporters of the two parties.
"Both groups hurled stones and bricks at each other, leading to a law and order situation in the area," a senior official said.
Police and central forces intervened and carried out a baton charge to disperse the mobs and bring the situation under control, he added.
Security personnel were deployed in large numbers in and around the polling station to prevent further escalation, another official said.
The incident comes amid the first phase of polling in 152 assembly constituencies across the state, where voting has been largely peaceful with sporadic incidents of tension reported from some pockets.
The second round of polling is scheduled on April 29, and counting on May 4.