Once again on Friday West Bengal witnessed political violence as Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri seats went to polls in Phase 1 of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
Both BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused each other of hurting their poll agents, and workers and disturbing the electoral process in the state.
An Election Commission official said, ‘As of 9 am, over 15 % of the 56.26 lakh voters in the three Lok Sabha constituencies had exercised their franchise’.
The official added, ‘Till 9 am, voter turnout in Cooch Behar is 15.26 % while that in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri is 15.91 % and 14.13 % respectively’.
The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that TMC workers had pelted stones in Cooch Behar’s Chandamari area due to which the saffron party’s booth president suffered injuries.
It also alleged that their polling agent Biswanath Paul had been kidnapped from a poll booth by TMC workers.
BJP workers also claimed they were attacked in Natabari and injured cadre were admitted to Tufhangunj hospital in Cooch Behar.
Apart from this, the saffron party claimed that the houses of BJP Karyakartas were destroyed by TMC.
The party also said that stone pelting by TMC workers in Chandamari to prevent voters from exercising their franchise led to BJP’s booth president suffering injuries.
Comments