Kolkata: Three persons were killed and the body of another was found, as stray incidents of violence, booth jamming and rigging were reported during the third phase of the panchayat elections in West Bengal on Friday which saw a turnout of around 75 per cent.
State Election Commission sources said there was around 75 per cent turnout in the three districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Howrah. A youth, who was standing in a queue to vote in South 24 Parganas, was shot dead at about 8.30 pm when polling was still continuing at a booth in Maya Hauli village under Jaynagar police station.
Amal Haldar (25), whom SUCI(Communist) claimed to be its supporter, went to the jawan to ask something, but he opened fire killing him on the spot, the police said. Language problem could be the cause of the incident following which the polling process stopped there.
Trinamool Congress supporter Sanat Ghosh was shot dead in at Morapai under Usti police station in South 24 Parganas, Superintendent of Police Pravin Tripathi told PTI.
A 65-year-old man, Motherbux Mullick was injured in a bomb explosion in Bodai gram panchayat under Amdanga police station in North 24 Parganas district and died in Barasat hospital, Superintendent of Police Sugata Sen said. The CPI(M) claimed that Mullick was a party supporter.
At Ghutiarishariff in South 24 Parganas, the body of 16-year-old Somnath Mukhopadhay with wounds was recovered from a pond, Additional SP K Barui said. He, however, said it might not be related to polls.
Notwithstanding the incidents of violence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed at an election rally at Rampurhat in Birbhum district that the third phase of polling was peaceful. On allegations of improper deployment of central forces for the polls, Governor M K Narayanan said, "The Centre has given the forces.... It is quite important to ensure safety and security of the people and instill a sense of confidence. I hope the forces will be deployed.
"The first phase was well, the second was not so well," he said. Three persons had been killed in Burdwan district during the second phase.
CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose alleged that there was widespread rigging in North and South 24 Parganas, while Marxist supporters were beaten up in Howrah district and prevented from voting. Incidents of clashes between the ruling Trinamool
Congress and the CPI(M) were reported from Amdanga in North 24 Parganas district, the police said CPI(M) workers put up road blockade at various urban areas of the district protesting against alleged booth jamming by the ruling party.
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