Bengal reports incidents of violence in first phase of Lok Sabha polls
Kolkata/IBNS: Several incidents of violence and intimidation have been reported from West Bengal as the Lok Sabha elections began with three seats in the politically-intensified state, media reports said.
The three seats, which went to polls in the first phase, are Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri, where the state's ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in fierce contest.
A BJP booth president was injured in a stone pelting allegedly by TMC supporters in the Chandamari area of Cooch Behar.
BJP workers have been accused of attacking TMC workers in the Sitalkuchi and Chotosalbari gram panchayat areas.
A TMC polling camp was attacked in Sitai, a report by The Indian Express reported.
The news of violence started coming from West Bengal.
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) April 19, 2024
Heavy stone pelting has been reported in Chandamari Village.
This is the ideal democracy of elite liberals? #WestBengal #LokSabhaElection2024 pic.twitter.com/e3DDLXgYoq
As per the voting percentage, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri recorded 15.26%, 15.91% and 14.13% respectively till 9 am.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, who is in the 'Peace Room' at Raj Bhavan, said all complaints regarding violence have been forwarded to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In the 2019 elections, the BJP won all the three seats- which went to polls- giving a jolt to the TMC, which got its tally down from 34 to 22.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in West Bengal in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.
On Friday, 102 seats across 21 states and union territories went to polls.
