6 candidates attacked as violence mars Bengal voting

Six candidates belonging to the TMC and BJP, including two woman candidates, were attacked during the third phase of voting in West Bengal. Polling was marred by sporadic incidents of violence, with reports of EVMs being seized and allegations of misbehaviour by the Central forces.

At least 11 people were arrested in connection with the incidents of assaults on candidates, the State Chief Electoral Officer said.

Six candidates belonging to the TMC and BJP, including two woman candidates, were attacked during the third phase of voting in West Bengal. Polling was marred by sporadic incidents of violence, with reports of EVMs being seized and allegations of misbehaviour by the Central forces. At least 11 people were arrested in connection with the incidents of assaults on candidates, the State Chief Electoral Officer said.

By 5 pm, 77.68 per cent turnout was recorded in the 31 seats.

TMC candidate from Arambagh, Sujata Mondal, was attacked allegedly by BJP supporters in Arandi area of the constituency in Hooghly district. Police, which termed the incident a clash between BJP and TMC workers, arrested five people — three TMC and two BJP members — for alleged involvement. Mondal said she was chased and hit on the head by BJP workers when she was visiting booths.

A TMC delegation met the Chief Electoral Officer and accused the Central forces of being “mute spectator”.

In Uluberia (Dakshin) in Howrah district, BJP candidate Papia Adhikari was attacked and manhandled allegedly by TMC supporters at the district hospital, where she had gone to meet an injured BJP worker. Two persons have been arrested, EC said.

In Uluberia (Uttar), TMC candidate Dr Nirmal Maji was heckled and his vehicle attacked when he tried to visit a booth. Majhi was made to wear a helmet and escorted out of the troubled area by police.

At Khanakul in Hooghly, TMC candidate Najmul Karim was beaten up, allegedly by BJP supporters. The incident took place when Karim was visiting booths in the constituency. Four persons have been arrested in Khanakul on suspected involvement in the incident, the police said.

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At Tarakeswar in Hooghly district, BJP candidate Swapan Dasgupta’s election agent was attacked and his car vandalised. Arindam Chakraborty received serious head injuries, the BJP said.

In Falta, a BJP candidate’s vehicle was attacked.

Sweety Kumari

Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More