Lok Sabha Election 2024: Sporadic Violence Mars Bengal’s First Phase, 77% Turnout Till 5pm

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Bengal’s three parliamentary constituencies, with a 77% voter turnout till 5 pm and several injuries reported as TMC and BJP workers clashed mostly in the violence-prone Cooch Behar seat.

The TMC and BJP lodged around 100 and 50 complaints respectively, which are related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents in the initial hours of polling, as claimed by sources from both parties. Most complaints originated from Cooch Behar.

“We have received a few complaints and we are looking into them. However, we have no reports of any major incidents of violence so far. The polling has been peaceful,” a senior officer from the CEO’s office said.

The CEO’s office received approximately 500 complaints from various parties till 2pm, with most of the complaints swiftly resolved.

According to officials, Cooch Behar recorded a 77.38 per cent turnout till 5pm, while Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri recorded 75.54 and 79.33 per cent, respectively.

Voting commenced at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm. Sources suggest the turnout may increase further as long queues were seen outside polling booths.

All three seats are reserved: Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri for SCs, and Alipurduars for STs. These seats were won by the BJP in 2019.

During the last Lok Sabha polls, the turnout in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduars was 84, 86, and 83 per cent, respectively.

A total of 37 candidates, including Union Minister and BJP leader Nisith Pramanik (Cooch Behar), are contesting in the three constituencies.

LATEST UPDATES

• Police have found nine explosives 200 metres away from a polling booth in Cooch Behar district’s Falimari village.
• Police chased BJP MLA from Jalpaiguri’s Dabgram-Phulbari constituency, Shikha Chatterjee’s, car after she forcibly entered a polling station in ward number 33, violating poll rules. Police also tried to detain her. The Election Commission has sought a report on the issue.
• Congress Candidate from Cooch Behar Piya Roy Chowdhury cast her vote.

• Around 50.96 per cent of 56.26 lakh voters of three Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal exercised their franchise on Friday.
• BJP’s candidate from Coochbehar Nisith Pramanik, while addressing the media on Saturday said, “This time the win will be for the people. No matter what gunagardi TMC does, win will be for BJP.”
• On West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, TMC leader Dr Santanu Sen said, “The work of governor is to work as Constitutional head, however, what we see as they work on the behest of BJP…In West Bengal, the law and order situation is good comparatively other states…If the EC stays neutral and provides a level playing field to all, then here elections will take place peacefully…Governor has been used to disturb the state government.”
• A bomb was recovered from a village in Coochbehar’s Dinhata. It has also been alleged that Trinamool workers hurled bombs at the BJP booth president’s house in the area.
• TMC candidate from Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha constituency Nirmal Chandra Roy cast his vote at a polling station in Jalpaiguri’s Dhupguri. He said, “I will appeal to the people to cast their votes peacefully and maintain law and order.”
• CPI(M)’ Jalpaiguri candidate Debraj Barman cast his vote in the first hour and said he would visit different booths throughout the day.
•  TMC workers have allegedly pelted stones in Cooch Behar’s Chandamari area due to which BJP’s booth president has suffered injuries.

• The BJP in Bengal has claimed that their party polling agent, Biswanath Paul has been kidnapped from a poll booth by TMC party workers.
• On the alleged stone pelting incident in West Bengal’s Medinipur, Governor CV Ananda Bose said, “Peace and harmony is something that the people of Bengal want and the people of Bengal deserve. It is after the authorities to ensure that there is law and order in the state, especially during the elections. Any perpetrators of violence should be booked and stern action should be taken, that is the responsibility of the Election Commission.”
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged people of the 102 constituencies in 21 states and union territories, who are voting today to vote in record numbers.
• In Coochbehar, both TMC and BJP claimed attacks on their party workers. Two incidents have come up where workers from both parties have been hospitalised.
• The ruling TMC has written a letter to the Election Commission alleging that Nishit Pramanik is utilising his position and storing arms in his party office.
• At least 112 companies of central forces and 4,500 state police will be deployed in Cooch Behar, which is almost double compared to the forces deployed in the other two districts.
• The poll panel has decided to deploy 2,454 state police personnel alongside 63 companies of central forces in Alipurduar, officials said.
• There will also be 75 companies of central forces and 3,077 state police in Jalpaiguri.
• The longstanding rivalry between Pramanik and TMC’s Dinhata MLA and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha seems to have contributed to the palpable tension in Cooch Behar over the elections.
• The Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) or the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel will be deployed there for the April 19 polls, an EC official has said.
• This comes in view of the death of four persons in a firing allegedly by CISF personnel at a booth in Sitalkuchi during the 2021 assembly polls, following which the Election Commission has decided not to deploy any personnel of that force there.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed public meetings in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar while TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and the party’s number two Abhishek Banerjee also held several rallies and roadshows in these places.
• All three constituencies were won by the BJP in the 2019 general elections. In the 2021 assembly polls, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar remained BJP’s stronghold with the party winning five of seven segments in the first and six in the second constituency, but in Jalpaiguri, the TMC had the upper hand, winning five and the saffron party managed to win two.
• A 42-year-old CRPF jawan fell unconscious while on duty at a polling station in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga. On being taken to a nearby hospital, doctors declared him dead. His body has been sent for post-mortem.

Alipurduar Constituency

Senior BJP leader Manoj Tigga will be fighting Trinamool Congress’s Prakash Chik Baraik here.. The Left Front has nominated Revolutionary Socialist Party leader Mili Oraon as its candidate.

Cooch Behar Constituency

Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik is taking on TMC’s Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia in Cooch Behar (SC) seat, which saw the death of four persons in firing allegedly by central forces at Sitalkuchi during the 2021 assembly elections, that has been made an issue by the TMC in the current poll campaign also.

Jalpaiguri Constituency

Located in North Bengal, the Jalpaiguri constituency is designated as reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

In the first phase of voting, Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy, the incumbent MP from the BJP, is fighting against Nirmal Chandra Roy of the TMC and Debraj Barman representing the CPI-M.

The districts like Darjeeling, Raiganj, and Balurghat will go into polls in its second phase on April 26.

Candidate Profiles

The BJP has renominated Jayanta Roy in Jalpaiguri and Pramanik in Cooch Behar but replaced last time’s winner John Barla with the party’s Madarihat MLA Manoj Tigga.

The TMC has, however, changed candidates in all three seats, fielding Prakash Chik Baraik in Alipurduar, Nirmal Chandra Roy in Jalpaiguri and Sitai MLA Basunia in Cooch Behar.

Check Voter Turnout For Lok Sabha Election 2024

2019 West Bengal Lok Sabha Polls

In 2019, the ruling Trinamool bagged 22 seats compared to the BJP’s 18, with respective vote percentages of 43.3 and 40.7. However, in 2021, Mamata Banerjee led the TMC to a landslide victory in the assembly elections, securing an impressive 215 seats.

Despite the BJP’s vigorous campaigning, it only managed to get 77 seats.

The state sends the third-highest number of representatives to the 543-member Lok Sabha, trailing only Uttar Pradesh (80) and Maharashtra (48).

(with agency inputs)

Stay updated with live coverage of 2024 Lok Sabha Election, Tamil Nadu Election 2024, West Bengal Election 2024, Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim Election Phase 1 Polling on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, and analysis in real-time.Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website.