Kolkata: Amid sporadic incidents of violence including in Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata, even the second phase of polling saw huge number of turnouts.
Total turnout recorded at the end of the voting of 142 constituencies was 92.47 per cent which surpassed 2021 turnout.
The Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, expressing his happiness, had hailed the high voter turnout in Bengal.
“Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal in both Phase I and II since Independence. Chunav ka Parv, Paschim Bengal ka Garv,” said Kumar.
According to Election Commission (EC) sources, 700 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces will stay back in Bengal even after the poll is over.
Even amid tension between Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who is contesting against each other from the Bhabanipur constituency, Bhabanipur recorded 85.51 per cent of voting.
Tension started after Adhikari with central force had reached a polling booth in Bhabanipur and claimed ‘fake voters’ were standing in the queue.
Rubbishing the claim, TMC's Kajori Banerjee said that the vote was ‘peaceful’ and tension started after Adhikari came to Bhabanipur.
Coincidentally, both Mamata and Adhikari visited ward number 70 of Chakraberia, at the same time. Mamata was sitting outside her party office and then claimed that she didn’t sleep the previous night and alleged that the central forces were ‘heckling’ her party workers.
“The armed forces instead of guarding the border are working at the behest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Our workers are being heckled. Several observers are going to police stations and creating pressure. They are calling for the arrest of all TMC agents. BJP wants to rig this election,” claimed Mamata.
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Adhikari claimed that Mamata is ‘afraid’ that she will not get a single vote.
“Mamata is a candidate. She can certainly visit booths. But why this ‘goodagardi’ (hooliganism)? I have complained to the Kolkata DEO. She is roaming around with goons,” alleged Adhikari.
Apart from Bhabanipur, incidents of sporadic violence are reported from Bhangar, East Burdwan and few other places. EVM glitches were also reported at a few places.
Poll analyst Subhamoy Moitra said that the large voting turnout is a ‘good’ signal.
