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West Bengal polls Phase 3: 79.22% voter turnout; 1 dead in violence in Murshidabad

62 Assembly seats went into polls on Thursday in the third phase of West Bengal elections.

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A CPI(M) supporter was killed and ten were injured in sporadic violence during the third phase of polling for 62 Assembly seats of West Bengal which saw an estimated 79.22 per cent turnout.

The Election Commission said in New Delhi that the turnout could be more as the figures were based on text messages sent by polling officials from the field till 5 pm. Heavy turnout of 81.62 per cent was recorded in 17 seats of Nadia, 79.29 per cent in 22 seats of Murshidabad and 78.26 per cent in 16 seats of Burdwan. However, the seven constituencies of northern Kolkata, registered only 57.05 per cent votes.

Though polling ended at 6 PM, officials said the final turnout figure would be known on Friday.

Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of West Bengal Sandeep Saxena said that in the 2011 assembly polls, the voter turnout stood at 84.83 per cent, while it was 81.80 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in the constituencies which went to poll on Thursday.

CPI(M) supporter killed in Murshidabad

The body of a 35-year-old CPI(M) supporter, identified as Tahidur Mondal, was found about 500 metres away from a polling booth at Shibapara area of Domkal Assembly seat in Murshidabad district. No arrests have so far been made in connection with the incident.

Asked whether the incidents of violence in the third phase were the highest in this phase, Saxena said the Commission "cannot compare" the number of incidents in each phase. Police said an FIR has been filed against 20 persons alleging that Trinamool supporters killed Mondal.

Clashes between two groups in Domkal constituency

In another area of Domkal constituency, four people were hurt, two of them seriously, in a clash between rival political workers for which 25 people have been detained. Three other incidents of clashes were also reported from Burdwan in which crude bombs were used.

ADG (law and order) Anuj Sharma said the police made 169 arrests during the day out of which 162 were under preventive sections all over the state. Altogether 63 preventive arrests were made from Kolkata including 52 from Beleghata area where there were complaints of voter intimidation.

A government official on poll duty, who was maintaining the queue at a booth in Burdwan district, died of sun-stroke. Altogether seven presiding officers were removed from duty during the day in Burdwan and Murshidabad, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said.

Babul Supriyo heckled in Jorasanko constituency

Union Minister Babul Supriyo was allegedly heckled at a polling booth in Jorasanko constituency in the city when he went to cast his vote along with his mother. In Kolkata, Trinamool leader Anwar Khan was arrested following instructions from the Chief Electoral Officer after he was shown on TV channels abusing the poll panel while talking to a party worker over phone.

During the day, the poll panel received over 2,700 complaints, many of which were related to booth-capturing, false voting and voter intimidation. Altogether 418 candidates, including 34 women, are in fray in this phase where over 1.37 crore voters, including 65.8 lakh females, were eligible to exercise their franchise.

Key candidates whose fate was sealed today include Trinamool ministers Shashi Panja and Sadhan Pande, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha, five-time Congress MLA Md Sohrab, CPI-M MLA Anisur Rahman and retired IPS officer Nazrul Islam. 

TMC distances itself from the Domkal incident

Chief Minister and Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee said her party has nothing to do with the incident in Domkal.

"It is a false propaganda by a media house," she said at an election rally in North 24 Parganas district.

TMC lauded the Election Commission for ensuring large turnout in polling on Thursday.

"The voting process has been good. EC has done a good job in ensuring that so many people could vote," TMC vice-president Mukul Roy said.

CPI(M) Politburo leader Md Salim alleged the ground was slipping fast from under the ruling TMC and that was why it was resorting to widespread violence and attacking opposition party workers and supporters. CPI(M) alleged EC had failed to ensure free and fair polls in the third round of polling in Bengal and opposition Left Front demanded repolling in 15 booths in Domkal constituency.

Congress demands repolling in Domkal

Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury demanded repolling in 11 booths in Domkal constituency and claimed Left Front-Congress alliance today took another step towards winning the Assembly polls in Bengal. There were one lakh security personnel, including 75,000 central forces, on duty for the polls. Polling will be held in three more phases ending on May 5.

Preventive arrests were also made in Phoolbagan, Entally and Jorabagan areas of Kolkata. Out of the seven presiding officers who were replaced during the day, five were from Burdwan.

In Khandaghosh area, action was taken after it was found that the presiding officer had allowed unauthorised entry into the polling booth. In other cases, the officers were removed after they were found to be slow or incompetent in handling polling. 

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