The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal,which passed off peacefully in 14 of the 42 seats on Thursday,recorded a voter turnout of 64 per cent. "The turnout was 64 per cent till 5:00 pm. The polling percentage will rise as reports are still trickling in from remote areas," state Chief Electoral Officer Debasish Sen told reporters. Stating that no major incident was reported,Sen said that a BSF man was injured in a landmine blast in Purulia district. Prominent contestants whose fate were sealed in EVMs were BJP heavyweight Jaswant Singh from Darjeeling,CPI(M) leader in Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharya from Bankura,CPI parliamentarian Gurudas Dasgupta from Ghatal and the wife of ailing Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi,Deepa Dasmunshi. Polling was either boycotted or recorded a low turnout in 93 polling stations in West Midnapore,besides Jalpaiguri and South Dinajpur districts on different issues. To a question,the CEO said that low turnout of voters was reported in 1,000 booths in Maoist-infested Bankura,Purulia and West Midnapore districts,but the percentage of polling was not yet available. The CEO said that 13 per cent turnout was recorded in 49 booths in troubled Lalgarh. "Election Commission wanted peaceful and bloodless polling at Lalgarh and its vicinity and accordingly adequate security arrangements were made," he said. Booths were shifted from the areas in accordance with the agreement reached with tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato whose organisation resisted police entry into their areas for last six months. He said 100 EVMs developed battery-related problems but were rectified and polling resumed soon. Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said that at least 10 people were arrested for minor clashes and other incidents. Sen said that areas adjoining tribal-dominated Jhargram in West Midnapore district recorded 42 per cent of the voter turnout. He said polling was boycotted in 30 booths,mainly in Purulia and Jalpaiguri districts on various issues. Minor clashes were reported in Purulia district between those who boycotted polling and those who protested it. Polling ended peacefully in Darjeeling district. The Home Secretary said despite having five companies of central force deployed in trouble-torn Keshpur in Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency under West Midnapore district,Trinamool Congress has alleged booth-capturing and rigging in some booths. He said that additional EC observer posted there rejected the charge as baseless. "Now,the district magistrate,presiding officer of concerned booths and local observers will take a final decision if repoll is required at Keshpur or not," he added.
