Kolkata, April 29 With polling underway for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly polls for 142 Assembly constituencies, reports of poll-related violence and clashes between supporters of rival political parties have started surfacing from different corners of the districts where the elections are being conducted, with South 24 Parganas being the epicentre of the disturbance.
Tensions flared up in the Saihati area of Bhangar Assembly constituency, as Trinamool Congress workers staged a protest around the sitting All India Secular Front (AISF) legislator and party candidate from that constituency Md Nawsad Siddique, who reached a polling booth there.
The ruling party supporters started shouting slogans on seeing Md Nawsad Siddique. The situation became even more tense after Siddique and his companions erupted in anger. He claimed that although peaceful polling was going on in the area since morning, Trinamool Congress workers later deliberately tried to create unrest to disrupt the polling process.
The central forces quickly rushed to the spot, separated the two rival groups and brought the situation under control quickly
At Basanti, the BJP candidate, Vikas Sardar was attacked and his vehicle was vandalised allegedly by the Trinamool Congress activists.
The incident took place near booth number 76 in Basanti. When Sardar went to inspect the booth, he was suddenly attacked and his car was vandalised. An attempt was made to take away the firearm of his personal security guard. It is alleged that even though the central forces were present, they did not come forward to rescue Sardar. Tension has been prevailing in the area over the incident since then.
At Sasan in North 24 Parganas district a group of Trinamool Congress activists faced massive retaliation from the AISF supporters and villagers, after the ruling party activists allegedly tried to intimidate voters in the area.
Tensions also broke out at booth number 147 of Ramchandrapur in Rajhati-1 panchayat of Khanakul in Hooghly district following AISF-Trinamool Congress clashes in front of the booth. AISF supporters alleged that the ruling party has placed their agents by forging their polling agent's forms. AISF also alleged that their agents were not allowed to enter the booth after being threatened since Tuesday night. On receiving news of the incident, the AISF candidate of Khanakul went to the booth and the situation flared up further there.
Meanwhile, in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district, voters got agitated after EVMs malfunctioned at Don Bosco, Liluah Sohanlal Vidyalaya of Bali Assembly constituency. Central forces resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. The Congress and Trinamool's polling agents were injured in the lathi-charge. Two people have been arrested and a huge police contingent is there at the spot.
At Karimpur Assembly constituency in Nadia district, tension broke out after an officer of West Bengal police was spotted making requests to voters to cast their votes in favour of the Trinamool Congress.
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