Violence erupts in Bengal's Cooch Behar as TMC and BJP workers clash

Kolkata (IANS) The polling in the first two hours for three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal on Friday was marred by incidents of violence in the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency.

Some cases of violence were reported from Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha constituency as well. Alipurduar, however, was an exception, with no report of poll-related violence in the first two hours.

Till 9 a.m. the polling percentage was 15.09, as per the records of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

The maximum polling percentage was recorded at Alipurduar at 15.91, followed by Cooch Behar at 15.26 per cent and Jalpaiguri at 14.13.

Although ECI has deployed as many as 112 companies of CAPF personnel in Cooch Behar, the effectiveness of their deployment is being questioned. The reports of inter-party clashes, burning down and ransacking of rival party offices and serious injuries to some party activists and that too in the first two hours of polling in the first phase were being reported.

The maximum reports of violence have been reported from the Chandamari area in Cooch Behar. Tension mounted over the assault on BJP’s booth president, Lob Sarkar, who was hospitalised with severe head injuries. Similarly, a Trinamool Congress worker also received serious head injuries following stone-pelting between BJP and Trinamool Congress activists.

Similar tension prevailed in the Rajakhora area and also in Cooch Behar. The area witnessed attacks and counter-attacks between the ruling and opposition party activists following which the temporary camp offices of both Trinamool Congress and BJP were ransacked.

Reports also surfaced that a temporary party office of Trinamool Congress at Sitalkuchi also in Cooch Behar was burnt down allegedly by the local BJP supporters.

Similarly, tension prevailed in the Dabgram-Phulbari area under the Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha constituency after a booth office of the BJP was completely gutted allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress activists.