West Bengal records 79.70 pc poll in 2nd phase

West Bengal on Sunday recorded 79.70 per cent voting in the second phase of assembly polls in 56 constituencies which the Election Commission said was "by and large" peaceful, barring a clash between workers of rival political parties.

The commission said the final figure would increase as the poll percentage was based on text messages sent by polling officials from the state to commission headquarters in New Delhi at 5 pm.

IMAGE: Women show their voter cards at a polling booth during the assembly elections at Bandhlodanga in Birbhum. Photograph: PTI

Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena told a press conference that the polling percentage in the 56 assembly constituencies which went to poll today was 86.51 per cent in 2011 assembly elections and 82.70 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

There were no poll violence-related deaths but a polling officer, Gopi Chakravarty, died of heart attack in Alipurduar constituency.

"There were reports of disruption of polling due to EVM errors. The EVMs were replaced quickly...in the beginning hours, near polling station 78 of Bolpur constituency, there was a clash between (workers of) two parties in which three people were hurt," the Deputy EC said.

In another incident, a presiding officer of a polling station was replaced and disciplinary proceedings initiated after he was found helping a voter near a voting compartment.

IMAGE: A security official keeps vigil as voters wait to cast their votes at a polling station in South Dinajpur. Photograph: PTI

In the run up to the second phase of elections, authorities executed 15,623 non-bailable warrants to keep trouble-makers under check. Similarly, over 5000 people were kept under watch to ensure they did not influence voters.

Controversial Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal, already under 24X7 surveillance of the Election Commission, stoked another controversy this time when he went to vote displaying the party symbol on his chest.

"I didn't realise it. But the presiding officer could have stopped me from going like this," Mandal, Birbhum district president of the party, said later on.

In Malda, a clash between the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Trinamool Congress supporters took place in front of booth no. 96 in English bazar assembly segment in which two persons, including the TMC polling agent were injured, police said.

Trouble began when the TMC polling agent protested against alleged booth jamming by CPI-M. The two sides clashed with lathis outside the booth with the central forces finding it difficult to control them, polling officials said.

IMAGE: Voters stand in queue while waiting to cast their votes at a polling station. Photograph: PTI

TMC agent Anup Sarkar was injured and admitted to Malda Medical College and Hospital.

Polling was stalled for 45 minutes and later began as additional central forces were rushed to the area to control the situation.

TMC polling agent Asraful Hossain was beaten up at a booth in Chanchol constituency in Malda district by Chanchol ex-pradhan Maqbul Hossain of Congress, polling officials said.

As a result, polling was temporarily stalled. Hossain has since been arrested, police said.

IMAGE: Former footballer and TMC candidate Baichung Bhutia during a visit to a polling station in Siliguri. Photograph: PTI

Earlier, a clash between BJP and TMC workers left eight persons injured in Dumrut village of Birbhum at around 6 AM before polling began, a EC report said.

Three persons were later on arrested by the police.

TMC candidate from Siliguri assembly constituency, Baichung Bhutia has complained of bogus votes being cast at Sriguru Vidayapith booth and a complaint has been registered with the EC.