Kolkata: In all four persons were reportedly killed and many others were injured in firing by Central Industrial Security Force jawans outside polling booth no. 126 at Jorepatki area under Sitalkuchi Assembly Constituency in Cooch Behar district of northern West Bengal during the fourth phase of polling in the state on Saturday. The Election Commission has adjourned the poll and ordered re-polling there. Reports suggest that the CISF opened fire in self-defense after miscreants from the gathering of local villagers attacked CISF personnel and tried to snatch their rifles. The Election Commission stated that the detailed report was awaited from Sitalkuchi.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said it was shameful to see the shooting justified as a selfdefense. “I urge all people to take revenge of the shooting by casting votes in favour of the TMC through democratic means,” she said at a rally.
Earlier in morning, an 18-year-old youth was also shot dead outside polling booth no. 285 at Pathantuli Shalbari area under Sitalkuchi assembly constituency. The youth was on his way to cast his life’s first vote and the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders blamed TMC men for his killing as they claimed he belonged to a family of BJP supporters. Ariz Aftab, Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, said two persons had been detained in connection with the killing of the youth outside booth number 285.
In the meanwhile, the fourth phase of polling was peaceful in 15,939 booths spread across 44 Assembly Constituencies of West Bengal today. While fate of 373 candidates, including 50 females, were sealed in the EVM in this phase, the voter turnout was 76.16% today in the 5 districts of South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar that went to poll today.
However, today’s turnout was considerably lesser than the earlier three phases of polling which saw over 84% polling. The district-wise breakup of today’s turnout is as follows:
Overall voting percentage: 76.16%
South 24 Parganas: 75.29%
Howrah: 75.35%
Hooghly: 75.99%
Cooch Behar: 79.53%
Alipurduar: 73.84%
Details of Electors, Polling Stations and Observers in the poll are as follows:
Some prominent personalities in the fray in the fourth phase include former cricketer Manoj Tiwary (TMC candidate from Shibpur), Bollywood singer and BJP MP Babul Supriyo from Tollygunge, Locket Chatterjee, Payel Sarkar, and former minister Rajib Banerjee.
Meanwhile, the ECI informed that during the ongoing elections till this phase in West Bengal, a record seizure of Rs.283.70 Crore had already been reported on April 10, 2021. The seizure figure, which includes seizure of cash, liquor, narcotics, freebies, was more than 6.4 times of the total seizure of Rs. 44.33 Crore in GE LA 2016.
– global bihari bureau
