Polling for nine Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal is underway today, but the seventh phase of the elections has been marred by violence and tension across various areas. The day began with reports of clashes and disruptions, casting a shadow over the democratic process.
In the Satuliya area of Bhangar within the Jadavpur constituency, violence erupted between supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). The confrontation led to several ISF members being injured, exacerbated by the use of country-made bombs. The situation in Bhangar remains tense, with local authorities working to restore order.
A particularly alarming incident occurred in Kultali, South 24 Parganas district, where an angry mob forced its way into polling stations, seizing an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and throwing it into a nearby pond. This incident was reportedly triggered by allegations that polling agents were barred from entering the booths. Local residents retaliated by seizing the EVM equipped with a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and discarding it. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal confirmed that the reserve EVMs and papers of a Sector Officer were looted by the mob and that the necessary actions have been initiated, including lodging an FIR. Despite the disruption, polling in the affected booths continued with fresh EVMs provided.
Tensions flared in Sandeshkhali under the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency late Friday night and persisted into the early hours of polling. Local women armed with bamboo sticks protested against alleged threats from Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists and state police. They accused associates of the now-suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, currently imprisoned, of intimidating their families. State police, however, claimed that the unrest began after local BJP supporters assaulted civic volunteers.
In Canning, South 24 Parganas district, clashes erupted between supporters of TMC and BJP within the precincts of Itkhola Gram Panchayat. Reports indicate stone-pelting in the area, resulting in injuries to a media personnel.
The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, shared videos of the protests, accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of using party goons and state police to intimidate voters. In Bhangar, further clashes between TMC and All India Secular Front (AISF) activists early on Saturday left a woman AISF activist injured, and the vehicle of AISF candidate Nur Alam Khan was vandalized, allegedly by Trinamool supporters.
Polling for the nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, including Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar, began at 7 am under stringent security measures and will continue until 6 pm.
Prominent candidates in this phase include Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee from Diamond Harbour, BJP's Rekha Patra from Basirhat, and CPI(M)'s Sujan Chakraborty from Dum Dum. The polling is being conducted under heavy security, with 1,020 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the state, 978 of which are on polling duty. Additionally, 1,960 quick response teams (QRTs) are deployed statewide to address any tensions.
Despite the heavy security presence, the ongoing violence highlights the challenges of conducting peaceful elections in areas with high political tensions. The Election Commission and local authorities are working to ensure that voters can exercise their rights safely and that the integrity of the electoral process is maintained.
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