West Bengal Municipality Elections: Violence reported from several areas, media attacked

LIVE BLOG

• 03 Oct 2015, 03:56 PM

   Six motorcycles and one car has been set on fire near Haj House in Tegharia. There is palpable tension in the air currently. 

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 01:25 PM

  Media attacked at Bidhannagar. Cameraperson and reporters of Zee 24 Ghanta, ABP Ananda and other private news channels have been seriously injured. 
  
  Trinamool Congress leader Baiju Thakur has been shot at Asansol. According to doctors, he is seriously injured. 
   

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 01:18 PM

  CPM’s candidate of ward 33 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation was allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress supporters. Her house also attacked by them.

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 01:13 PM

  Polling percentage till 12 noon Bidhannagar registered 36% voting, Bally 26%, Siliguri 32% and Asansol 29% votes.
   
  In Raniganj, Trinamool Congress supporters allegedly fired shots and hurled bombs at CPM supporters. They even ransacked and vandalised the CPM booth camps. Voters are not stepping out of their houses, fearing to be injured.
   
  In Tegharia ward 9, in front of Haj House, a faction of Trinamool Congress clashed with the Congress. Two Congress supporters injured.
   
  BJP candidate of ward 28 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation allegedly manhandled by unidentified people.
   

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 11:20 AM

   

  In 21 ward of Rajarhat, a mob of 20 outsiders allegedly barged into the polling booth and started casting fake votes. Immediately, voters raised a voice and the outsiders ended up breaking the EVM. Meanwhile, voting has been suspended. 

   

  In Saltlake's BD block, several crude bombs were hurled. While no one was injured, voters went back home. 

   

  In Teghoria's ward number 9, two petrol bombs were hurled. 

   

  Polling percentage till 10.30am is 

  Bidhannagar 11%, Asansol 13%, Siliguri 14%.  

   

  In ward 33 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, a polling booth was captured for over an hour. Polling agents of Trinamool Congress closed the booth from inside and casted fake votes. A long queue of voters waited for an hour and had to leave after realising their votes were already casted. 

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 10:25 AM

  Not only in rural areas, even clashes going on in Bidhannagar, situated just outside Kolkata 

  Clashes during local body polls in Bidannagar (WB) pic.twitter.com/INDAJjhvx0

  — ANI (@ANI_news) October 3, 2015

  Mob violence against booth capturers in local body polls in Badannagar (WB) pic.twitter.com/6ly02Jbfk4

  — ANI (@ANI_news) October 3, 2015

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 10:20 AM

  A massive showdown took place between police and voters at ward 106 ward of Jamuria. While police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse agitators, they brick batted in return.

  Another showdown took place between police and outsiders at ward 41 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Opposition parties have levelled allegations of fake voting in several wards of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.

  In ward 21 of Rajarhat too, police had to resort to a lathicharge. In ward 3 of Rajarhat, BJP and Left withdrew their candidate after tension broke out. Several miscreants broke down CCTV cameras inside polling booth in ward 106 of Asansol. Left supporters claim that the miscreants are from the Trinamool Congress who broke down the cameras to carry out fake voting.

  Local body elections begin in Siliguri (WB) pic.twitter.com/vV2spx9vFb

  — ANI (@ANI_news) October 3, 2015

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 08:58 AM

  
  In Hariharpara in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, a crude bomb blast left two Congress workers dead and one injured. These three Congress supporters were reportedly carrying live bombs, when it went off. After the bomb went off, voting to the bypolls of panchayat at Hariharpara were halted.
  
  In AC Block of Saltlake, some unidentified miscreants started brick-batting on voters as soon as they turned up at the polling booth. Later, when the police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse agitating people, they had to face stone pelting by the miscreants.
   

  
• 03 Oct 2015, 08:36 AM

  
  The first few hours of voting in Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation polls has been marred by booth capturing on Saturday.

  Early morning, several outsiders were seen carrying out a massive rally in the BB block in Saltlake. Later, they entered the polling booth and stood next to the EVM. Opposition party supporters claim that these outsiders were openly threatening the voters in presence of police officers.

  Updates -

  In 28 no ward of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, opposition parties accused Trinamool Congress of booth capturing.

  In Jamuria of Asansol, voters were targeted with bombs by some unidentified miscreants.

  Later, tension broke out in Milan Sangha grounds of Jamuria after voters clashed with police. In presence of police officers, voters were not allowed to cast their vote unless they vote for the Trinamool Congress. Booth no 5 of Jamuria, allegedly remained captured by the Trinamool Congress.

  In Bally, recently merged with Howrah Municipal Corporation, Congress candidate of 61 ward was targeted with crude bombs.