Kolkata Municipal Corporation Polls
Sixty-four percent polling in Kolkata civic elections, opposition launch street protests against ‘malpractices’
Kolkata/UNI: Amid reports of sporadic violence and allegations of rampant malpractices and intimidation by the opposition parties, an estimated 64 percent polling was recorded till the scheduled closing time 5 P.M. in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) election on Sunday.
Seventy-two people were arrested in poll-related violence, which was reported from across the city, said Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police (Headquarters), Subhankar Sinha Sarkar.
Two persons were injured after unidentified miscreants threw two crude bombs outside Taki High School Booth in Central Kolkata’s Sealdah area. Both Trinamool and Congress held each other responsible for the incident.
In ward 22 of north Kolkata, goons said to have been backed by the Trinamool, allegedly attacked BJP candidate and former city deputy mayor Meena Devi Purohit. In central Kolkata, Congress candidate Santosh Pathak complained that the Trinamool sent fake voters to polling booths.
The CPI-M alleged that their polling agents were driven out and candidates prevented from entering a large number of booths and set up a road block on Bagha Jatin crossing in the city’s southern outskirts.
The BJP, CPI(M) and Congress held the state e and Kolkata police responsible for their failure to prevent such incidents and accused them of remaining mute spectators.
After receiving various complaints, the State Election Commission directed the returning officer to take action over the incidents in ward 7 and ward 22 where BJP candidates Purohit and Brjaesh Jha lodged complaints claiming they were beaten up.
Meanwhile, State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar announced that the party workers have launched protests across all the districts from 1 P.M“to highlight the death of democracy” in West Bengal.
State BJP leaders, headed by Sisir Bajoria, led a party delegation to the state election commission office with a series of complaints alleging the ruling Trinamool Congress looted the vote with the help of the government machinery.
BJP, Congress and CPI(M) jointly protested at Bartolla police station.
The Trinamool Congress has fielded candidates in all the 144 wards of KMC, while the BJP is contesting in 142 wards. The CPI-M led Left Front is in the fray in 129 wards, and the Congress in 121. There are 378 independent nominees.
The results will be declared on December 21.
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