Sporadic incidents of violence marred the first phase of 18th Lok Sabha polls in three parliamentary constituencies of north Bengal today following political clashes between Trinamul Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party workers since morning, especially in Cooch Behar.
The Election Commission received over 100 complaints of violence and intimidation from three Lok Sabha segments, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri.
Voters were prevented by both the BJP and TMC from coming to polling booths in some areas in Cooch Behar and other segments.
Voter turnout was recorded on an average 50 per cent till 1 pm, 34 per cent turnout in Cooch Behar, 35 per cent in Alipurduar and 32 per cent in Jalpaiguri recorded around 11 am.
At 3 pm it was 65.54 per cent, 66.23 per cent and 67.28 per cent respectively.
Significantly, voters turnout was 80.80 per cent in Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha segment at 5 pm.
Political clashes broke out last night in Dinhata Assembly segment in Cooch Behar. Trouble began this morning after one TMC block president was injured in a clash in Dinhata.
TMC workers were accused of stone pelting in Chandamari where several people were minjured, including a BJP leader. On the other hand, BJP workers attacked TMC supporters at Chhotosalbari area in Sitalkuchi Assembly segment in Cooch Behar.
Police recovered nine crude bombs from Falimari and one from Bhetaguri in Dinhata, where miscreants exploded several bombs last night.
A polling agent of BJP was allegedly kidnapped in Sitalkuchi area. A BJP worker was injured in Mathabhanga area.
An unnatural death of a CAPF personnel was reported, who was on polling duty at Beltala in Mathabhanga. According to hospital sources, Kumar Nilu (42), came from Bihar on polling duty. His fellow colleagues found him lying ill. Doctors declared him dead when he was taken to Mathabhanga sub-district hospital.
Some temporary booth offices, belonging to both the BJP and TMC were set on fire and ransacked in different areas of three Lok Sabha constituencies, including Dabgram Fulbari area in Jalpaiguri.
When TMC candidate Nirmal Roy described the incident as a conspiracy of BJP and claimed that the election was going on peacefully, trouble began in Dabgram Fulbari Assembly segment in Jalpaiguri LS constituency near Siliguri since late morning.
An area, under Ward 33 of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, from where Mayor Goutam Deb was elected as a councillor, turned into a battlefield after the BJP MLA Shikha Chatterjee started visiting areas.
Notably, Siliguri Mayor Goutam Deb lodged complaint with the Election Commission and Siliguri Police Commissioner.
Trouble began when the police decided to detain Ms Chatterjee as she was in Ward 33. As the police tried to drag her out, several BJP activists chased them and managed to escape from police clutches.
Though the police tried to stop her car, the driver managed to leave the area. As Ms Chatterjee rushed to another spot after sometime in protest against booth jamming, she faced TMC workers’ ire. Finally, the police, accompanied by Central forces, brought the situation under control.
On the other hand, North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha faced BJP backed women’s ire after one BJP gram panchayet member was arrested by police.
Notably, Mr Guha lodged a complaint with the police after the TMC block president was injured in a clash in the morning and threatened the police to arrest culprits within two hours.
“The Commission cannot avoid its responsibility,” Mr Guha said.
Significantly, TMC candidate Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, who claimed that the polling trend was in his favour, was prevented by BJP activists from entering the polling booth in his Assembly segment.
The BJP candidate for Alipurduar Manoj Tigga, during his visits, alleged that TMC prevented polling agents from working in four polling stations in Tulsipara tea plantations area.
Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Cooch Behar throughout the day and even in the evening.
A confident BJP candidate Nisith Pramanik said, “Violence is TMC’s political culture. If there is no TMC, there is no violence. State police are working as TMC’s party cadres.”