About 41% polling recorded in West Bengal till 12pm

About 41 % of polling was recorded in the first four hours of voting for 17 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

Polling is being held for Berhampore, Krishnagar, Ranaghat, Bongaon, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata (South), Kolkata (North), Tamluk, Contai and Ghatal. Altogether 188 candidates are in the fray.

Meanwhile, thirteen persons were injured when CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress supporters clashed at Haroa in North 24 Parganas District. This follows allegations of rigging made by state opposition parties against the ruling TMC over the past few phases of the polls.

CPI-M leader, Sitaram Yechury alleged that the TMC is terrorising people in West Bengal, but the EC it seems is concentrating on only one constituency in India. "This phase has been very very violent across the state. Bombs are being hurled, people are roaming around freely with firearms. The Election Commission is treating this as presidential elections, concentrating on high-profile constituencies and ignoring the rest," Yechury said.