Bengal Poll Violence Doesn't Skip Even Phase 5 Of Voting, Reports Of Assault & Intimidation Mar Polling

The fifth phase of polling in West Bengal was marred by reports of violence and intimidation. A BSF jawan was even removed from poll duty over allegations of molestation.

After recording violence in the first four phases, it was expected that security would be pumped up for the remaining segments of polling in West Bengal. However, even before the polling began on Monday, reports of intimidation, assaults, and even hospitalisations poured in. 

In the first two hours of polling, 471 complaints were registered with the Election Commission of India. The Trinamool Congress submitted 30 complaints, CPI-M 25, and the BJP submitted 22 complaints, according to ABP Ananda.

Seven Lok Sabha seats in Bengal — Bangaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Srerampur, Hooghly, and Arambagh — are going to polls today.

Poll Violence In Bengal Spurs TMC-BJP Mudslinging

The violence started in Howrah's Salkia in Bengal a few hours before the scheduled hour of polling at 7 AM. The BJP said that its workers were assaulted by the TMC.

BJP candidate Arjun Singh has alleged intimidation of voters by TMC workers in Barrackpore. "They even threatened to shoot me," Singh said.

Arjun Singh later had to face "Go Back" slogans in Kanchrapara after he accused a TMC polling agent of being an "outsider". Arjun Singh had gone to the spot to verify allegations by a woman that she was not being allowed to vote. The police later brought the situation under control.

A presiding official at polling station number 176 in Howrah's Liluah was allegedly assaulted by polling agents over a delay in the starting of the voting procedure. Voting started after over an hour. The Election Commission has sought an action-taken report on the matter.

Meanwhile, a woman was among four BJP workers who sustained grievous injuries in an attack in North 24 Parganas's Swaroopnagar.

In Kalyani, voters were allegedly threatened to discourage voting. A BJP worker had to be admitted to Kalyani-AIIMS after sustaining injuries in the attack in Gayeshpur. BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur went to meet the injured person.

BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee visited Dhanekhali village to take stock of the situation there. She alleged that TMC agents were sitting with slips at “voter sahayata kendra”, asking people to vote for Rachana Banerjee, Trinamool's Hooghly candidate. At one booth, Locket Chatterjee was seen getting engaged in an altercation with the local TMC leader. At another, she was seen forcing women police personnel out of the booth.

In Uluberia, a BSF jawan was removed from poll duty over the charge of 'outraging modesty of a woman'. The Bengal Police has begun an investigation. The Trinamool Congress targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged sexual assault. Sagarika Ghose, TMC's Rajya Sabha MP, said there were two such incidents — one in Uluberia and the other in Jangipara. "Is this the guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that women would be assaulted by central forces," Sagarika Ghose asked. In the Jangipara incident, a central paramilitary force jawan was tied to a lamp post and thrashed over allegations of sexually harassing a woman at her house.

The TMC further targeted PM Modi over the seizure of Rs 35 lakh unaccounted cash from BJP leader Samit Mandal.

(With inputs from ABP Ananda.)