Kolkata, April 24 (IANS) Disregarding the sweltering heat, voters turned up in huge numbers and nearly 80 percent of polling was recorded with an hour still left for balloting to end in six Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal Thursday.
The authorities said the polling process in the second phase of elections in the state - after four constituencies voted a week back - was overall peaceful, marred by stray incidents and allegations.
There were reports of crude bombs being hurled close to a polling booth in Kathalberia under Kaliachak police station of Malda district, while rival parties accused each other of indulging in rigging and other electoral malpractices at several polling stations.
Despite the temperature rising close to 40 degrees Celsius in many areas, the young and the old, men and women patiently stood in the long queues for hours to cast their votes for Jangipur, Murshidabad, Malda North, Malda South, Balurghat and Raiganj seats since polling boths opened at 7 a.m., an official said.
"The average percentage is 79.63 percent till 5 p.m.," an Election Commission official said.
The Election Commission removed presiding officers of three booths in Murshidabad district for allowing "illegal entry" to Trinamool Congress candidate from Jangipur Haji Nurul Islam, an official said.
The Congress had complained to the EC that Islam illegally entered the booths under Sagardighi assembly segment along with several party workers.
Polling was stalled for some time at a booth under Itahar assembly segment of Balurghat constituency following allegations that all votes were being registered against the name of a particular candidate.
The authorities said polling resumed after changing the malfunctioning EVM, but denied the charge that all votes were being registered in favour of any particular candidate.
The Congress demanded repolling in a booth in Malda district after two of its candidates and union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury from Malda South and Mausam Benazir Noor from Malda North could not cast their votes due to malfunctioning of EVMs.
Both Noor and Choudhury alleged rigging, voters being prevented from casting votes and insufficient deployment of central security personnel in their respective constituencies.
Congress candidate from Balurghat in South Dinajpur district Om Prakash Mishra also alleged malpractices by the ruling Trinamool in some of the booths.
An electorate of 83,311,287, including 4,007,898 females, was eligible to choose representatives from a field of 78 candidates and cast their ballots at 9,755 polling stations spread over four districts - Muslim majority Malda and Murshidabad, besides North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur.
The four main rivals - Trinamool Congress, Left Front, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party - are competing in all the constituencies. Among the Left Front partners, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is in action in five and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) in one.
Among the star candidates in this phase are two union ministers Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury (Malda South) and Deepa Dasmunsi (Raiganj), as also President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee (Jangipur) - all Congress.
Popular Bengali band singer Soumitra Roy (Malda North) and theatre personality Arpita Ghosh (Balurghat) are nominees of the Trinamool Congress, while CPI-M central committee member Mohammad Salim is in fray from Raiganj, where the BJP has fielded famed actor Nimu Bhaumik.
The results of this phase are crucial for the Congress, which had bagged five seats in 2009 from these constituencies.
The other seat - Balurghat - had gone to the RSP.
West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, of which four voted April 17.
The next three phases of polling in the state will be held April 30 (nine seats), May 7 (six seats) and May 12 (17 constituencies).
Mrs. Undercover Review: Radhika Apte's film is more of a home story than a mission, humor, and thrill missing from the story
The spy comedy film Mrs. Undercover is Anushree Mehta's directorial debut. The story begins with a murder. Ajay (Sumit Vyas) is a social worker, but he has a problem with independent and empowered
Sonia congratulates Sirisena
New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday congratulated Maithripala Sirisena on his “emphatic and historic victory” in Sri Lanka's presidential election.In a
Big B: I Never Dared to sing in front of Ilaiyaraaja
Mumbai, Jan 21 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who shared his experiences working with music composer Ilaiyaraaja, felicitated at a function here Monday for completing the music of his 1,000th
27th day of attack on Ukraine: Russian media claims - 10 thousand Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine war so far; News disappeared after pressure
Today is the 27th day of the Russia-Ukraine war. According to Komsomoliska Pravda, a supporter of the Putin government, 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed so far in the war against Ukraine. The
AAP made a big change in the organization: Manish Sisodia made in-charge of Punjab, Saurabh Bhardwaj became Delhi president
Aam Aadmi Party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting was held. In this, a decision was taken to strengthen the organization. It was agreed to appoint in-charges in four states. Gopal Rai has
Supreme Court: Hearing on the petition related to the right of a Muslim girl to choose a life partner on her own, notice issued
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition of the National Child Rights Protection Commission regarding Muslim girls. The petition challenges the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court,
60.45% voting in Delhi: Voting was less than 60% in 28 assembly constituencies, the lowest votes cast after 2008
In the Delhi Assembly elections (Delhi Vidhan Sabha Chunav 2025), the voting percentage declined for the second consecutive time and this time the lowest voting was recorded as compared to the last
More than 100 leaders gathered to talk about climate change, what will happen if Russia-China-India stays away?
More than 100 world leaders are about to discuss a formidable problem that scientists call Earth's greatest challenge. However, observers say not much is expected. About 50 heads of state or heads of
Pak supporters are not allowing Hindus to live even in Bangladesh, they kept Quran in the Durga pandal and committed atrocities
The government has blamed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and pro-Pakistan elements for the violence against the minority Hindu community during the recent Durga Puja in Bangladesh. Information and
Ambedkar Jayanti: 133rd birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, President Murmu-PM Modi took part in the celebrations
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar's 133rd birth anniversary celebrations were organized on the lawns of Parliament House. President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi garlanded the statue of Dr.
