Kolkata: The seventh phase of polling for nine Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal on Saturday has been marked by widespread violence and tension. In Bhangar’s Satuliya area, part of the Jadavpur constituency, clashes erupted between Indian Secular Front (ISF) and CPI(M) supporters, leading to several ISF injuries due to homemade bombs.
In Kultali, South 24 Parganas district, a mob stormed polling stations, seized an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), and threw it into a pond after polling agents were allegedly barred from entering booths. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal confirmed the incident, stating that fresh EVMs were provided and polling continued uninterrupted.
Late Friday night, tensions flared in Sandeshkhali under Basirhat Lok Sabha, continuing into polling hours. Local women protested against threats from Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists and state police. They accused associates of the suspended Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan of intimidation, while state police claimed BJP supporters had assaulted civic volunteers.
Diamond Harbour, the stronghold of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, saw clashes between TMC and BJP supporters, with BJP candidate Abhijit Das accusing TMC of malpractices, which the TMC denied. In Ganguly Bagan, Jadavpur, CPI(M) workers were allegedly assaulted by TMC activists, and their camp offices ransacked, with TMC denying the allegations.
In Canning, South 24 Parganas, clashes between TMC and BJP supporters resulted in stone-pelting and injuries to media personnel. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of voter intimidation using party goons and state police.
Polling, under stringent security with 1,020 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies and 1,960 quick response teams, began at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM. Prominent candidates include Mr. Banerjee from Diamond Harbour, BJP’s Rekha Patra from Basirhat, and CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty from Dum Dum.