Bankura in Junglemahal, where bullets used to rule once, witnessed preference for ballots today that recorded 82 per cent polling till 5 p.m. in one segment.

Three Assembly segments of the Bankura Lok Sabha seat – Ranibandh, Raipur and Taldangra, for years remained Maoist infested, where the fatwa against casting votes was the order. The segments secured 79.85 per cent, 82.50 per cent and 80.25 per cent voting respectively, today.

“Gone are those days of frequent bloodbath and the people of Junglemahal have expressed their franchise through EVM today,” claimed Jyotsna Mandi, state minister after exercising her franchise in Ranibandh. She said, “People know that the credit goes to our chief minister Mamata Banerjee.”

Women dressed in yellow saris and snickers that they wear during the tribal festival of Karam Puja were seen queuing up in the polling stations. Middle-aged voter Shyamoli Murmu, Kusum Soren at Darkedi polling station in Ranibandh said, “We voted in a festive mood today. It’s a joyful day in a true sense.”

The Bankura and the Bishnupur Lok Sabha seats recorded 76.79 per cent and 81.47 per cent polling till 5 p.m. today and barring a handful of stray incidents polling remained peaceful added with a sudden rain for 10 minutes around 2.30 p.m. followed by a breeze of respite.

Trinamul Congress meanwhile alleged attempts of tampering in five polling booths at Bhamuria in Raghunathpur of the Bankura constituency. Sharing two photographs EVM, VVPAT with paper tags with BJP written on them the TMC posted on X handle that the BJP was trying to tamper votes. The Election Commission ruled out the charges saying: “While commissioning, common address tags were signed by the candidates and their polling agents.” Arup Chakraborty, the TMC candidate said, “After we raised suspicion, the EVMs of the polling booths – 56, 58, 60, 61 & 62 were replaced accordingly.”

A voter Manik Pathan meanwhile was thrashed heavily by the central forces in Kotulpur Assembly area of the Bishnupur constituency as he’d appeared several times at a polling booth despite being warned. He was shifted to the Bidhnipur hospital.

One voter, Kartik Ghorui (45) of Khano village in East Burdwan died while on his way to the polling booth for casting his vote this afternoon. The village falls under the Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat. The physicians diagnosed that he died due to severe heat stroke. The entire area reeled under unbearable heat and humidity today.