Kolkata: Amid clashes, firing, govt & police say civic polls ‘peaceful’

58 arrests made; S-I shot at in clash between TMC, Congress.

Kolkata, KMC, KMC polls, Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee shows the victory sign after casting her vote in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, in Bhowanipur, Saturday. (Source: Express Photo by Subham Dutta)

The high-stake election to Kolkata Municipal Corporation, being seen as the “semifinal” before next year’s Assembly polls in West Bengal, witnessed 62 per cent voter turnout amid allegations by opposition parties who claimed that the ruling Trinamool Congress unleashed terror on them. The State Election Commissioner (SEC) refused to term the polling “fair and peaceful”, as claimed by TMC supremo and CM Mamata Banerjee.

A police sub-inspector suffered gunshot wounds and was admitted to hospital when supporters of TMC and Congress clashed immediately after the end of polling. Reports of booth capture, clashes, hurling of bomb, firing and threats and intimidations were received throughout the day. Fifty-eight arrests were made in connection with poll violence.

“With so many complaints how can I describe the polls as peaceful? We will go through all the complaints to decide if repoll is required at any booth,” said S R Upadhyay, the SEC.

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Mamata, who visited the injured S-I at CMRI Hospital, brushed aside allegations of violence. “Only four or five small incidents took place. It was a very peaceful election and police can be called the man of the match,” Mamata said.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha, too, said that barring a few incidents of violence, the polls were peaceful. “We took strong action when we received any complaint. We arrested 58 people for trying to create disturbance. We have recovered 18 crude bombs. Two incidents of firing were reported,” Purkayastha said.
Several companies of paramilitary forces along with state and Kolkata Police battalions and Rapid Action Force were deployed.

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