Poll Violence Mars Final-Phase Voting In West Bengal, EVM Thrown In Pond By Angry Mob

Kolkata: Angry residents forcing their way into a polling station and throwing an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) into a nearby pond in South 24 Parganas district was among several incidents of poll violence reported from West Bengal on Saturday.

The incident occurred after some polling agents were allegedly denied entry into the booths. Locals retaliated by seizing the EVM equipped with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), NDTV reported.

“Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU, 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond…FIR has been lodged by Sector Officer and necessary action has been initiated. The poll process in all six booths under the Sector is running uninterrupted. Fresh EVM and papers have been provided to the Sector Officer,” the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal posted on X.

Voting is underway in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal and by 11 am at least 1,450 complaints of EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering the booths were received by the poll panel, Indian Express reported.

The other reported incidents of violence include a clash at Bhangar in Jadavpur constituency between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Indian Secular Front (ISF). They allegedly hurled crude bombs at each other. Later, police, which resorted to lathi-charge, recovered the crude bombs.

According to media reports, incidents of violence were also reported from Sandeshkhali under Basirhat Lok Sabha, where women, armed with bamboo sticks, protested against alleged threats from TMC activists and state police, late on Friday.

Likewise, Diamond Harbour saw clashes between TMC and BJP supporters and so also Canning in South 24 Parganas district.