Kolkata, April 29: After record voting in the first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections, bumper voting has taken place in the second and last phase as well amidst sporadic violence and tension. 89.99 percent voting has been recorded till 5 pm for 142 seats in seven districts of South Bengal including the capital Kolkata.
According to the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the highest voting percentage of 92.46 percent was recorded in Purba Bardhaman till 5 pm, while the lowest voting percentage of 86.11 percent was recorded in Kolkata South. Additionally, Hooghly district recorded 90.34 percent voter turnout, Howrah 89.44 percent, and Kolkata North 87.77 percent. Nadia district recorded 90.27 percent voter turnout, North 24 Parganas 89.74 percent, and South 24 Parganas 89.57 percent.
In the second and final phase, the political future of a total of 1,448 candidates was sealed in EVMs. Several heavyweight candidates are contesting in this phase, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who are facing off in the Bhawanipur seat. Also participating are state ministers Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, Javed Khan, Sujit Basu, and Shashi Panja, along with several other Mamata Banerjee government ministers, Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar, and firebrand CPI(M) leaders Meenakshi Mukherjee and Dipsita Dhar. Ratna Debnath, the mother of the doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital, and Rekha Patra, the face of the Sandeshkhali movement, are also Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.
Tight security arrangements were made in 142 constituencies across seven districts of South Bengal: Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Nadia, and Purba Bardhaman. Along with the state police and central forces, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) monitored the voting process throughout the day. Over 200,000 personnel, or 2,231 companies of central forces, were deployed in the polling areas. The highest deployment of central forces, 274, was in the capital, Kolkata. 263 companies were deployed in Purba Bardhaman district and 236 in Hooghly (rural). In addition, approximately 40,000 police personnel were deployed on election duty.
However, despite tight security arrangements, reports of violence and disturbances emerged from several locations. BJP agent Musharraf Mir was attacked while visiting booth number 53 in the Chapra assembly constituency of Nadia district. Trinamool workers and supporters surrounded Suvendu Adhikari in Kalighat, Bhawanipur, to visit booths and began chanting “thief, thief.” BJP supporters responded with “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. As the situation escalated, police resorted to lathi charge. In Rasbihari, a neighboring assembly constituency of Bhawanipur, a Congress polling agent was prevented from entering the booth. Former Trinamool MLA and renowned Bengali film actor Chiranjeet Chakraborty was unable to vote due to an EVM malfunction. He had arrived at the polling station at Charuchandra College in Kolkata in the morning, where voting began late due to a technical problem.
The situation remained tense throughout the day in the Bhangar area of ​​South 24 Parganas district, where slogans against ISF leader Naushad Siddiqui further escalated the tension. Police resorted to lathi charge to control the crowd and bring the situation under control. BJP candidate Vikas Sardar was allegedly attacked at booth number 76 in the Basanti assembly constituency. Meanwhile, allegations of tape being applied to EVMs in the Falta area of ​​Diamond Harbour escalated political tensions. The BJP shared a photo alleging that the buttons with the tape were number three for the BJP candidate and number four for the CPI(M). The BJP blamed the Trinamool Congress for this and demanded a re-poll.
Voting also began late in several areas, including Bali in Howrah, and Barasat, Habra, Kalyani, and Shantipur in North 24 Parganas, due to technical glitches in EVMs. However, no major incidents of violence were reported from the polling areas. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left her Kalighat residence early in the morning to oversee voting in the Chetla and Padmapukur Road areas.
Speaking to the media, Mamata Banerjee questioned the role of outside observers during the voting process, saying that some people are trying to create an atmosphere of fear among voters by coming from outside. She also accused the Election Commission of bias and said that administrative officials in the state are being transferred without consultation.
Mamata Banerjee said, “Many observers have come from outside the state. They are working on the orders of the BJP. They are not following court orders. We have sent them contempt of court notices, yet many outside observers have been brought here.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari took a dig at Mamata Banerjee for inspecting booths early in the morning, saying she had entered the fray “under pressure.”
He said that leaders don’t take such steps without pressure. Claiming victory against Mamata Banerjee in the Bhawanipur seat, Suvendu said the Chief Minister is set to lose by 30,000 votes. Political analysts have differing opinions about the record voter turnout in this election. Some are calling it a sign of political stability, while others are considering it a sign of change.
It’s worth noting that the first phase of the assembly elections saw over 93 percent voter turnout for 152 seats. By 6 pm, the second phase’s turnout is expected to surpass the first phase.