Sporadic incidents of violence, including a shootout-cum-crude bomb attack in Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district that killed a local TMC worker, marred the West Bengal by-elections, while the voter turnout across six constituencies stood at 69.29 per cent till 5 pm.
The killing of former TMC ward president Ashok Shaw, which took place adjacent to the Naihati assembly constituency where the electorate exercised their franchise on Wednesday, sparked political accusations of voter intimidation during the ongoing bypolls, prompting the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office to seek a report on the incident.
The victim, out on bail in a 2020 murder case, succumbed to his injuries after three attackers allegedly shot him and lobbed crude bombs around 9 am in full public view while he was having tea at a roadside shop.
Barrackpore Police Commissioner Alok Rajoria, while confirming the arrest of one person in connection with the incident, said police were looking into the possibility of revenge assault carried out by the brother of the person killed four years ago.
The incident drew immediate political reactions, with BJP leader Arjun Singh accusing the TMC of using intimidation tactics to instill fear among voters in Naihati and other constituencies.
Local TMC legislator Somnath Shyam, from Jagatdal seat, refrained from making a statement, claiming that a probe was underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to Election Commission figures received till 5 pm, Taldangra seat in Bankura district witnessed the state’s highest voter turnout at 75.20 per cent followed by Haroa (73.95), Medinipur (71.85), Sitai (66.35), Madarihat (64.14) and Naihati (62.10).
According to the poll panel, around 80 complaints were filed, mostly by the BJP.
The BJP and other opposition parties accused TMC workers of engaging in voter intimidation in various areas, particularly in Haroa, Madarihat, Sitai, and Taldangra constituencies. The state’s ruling party dubbed the allegations as baseless.
Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that “BJP workers were facing threats across multiple booths in various seats”, a claim the TMC dismissed as an attempt to discredit its position in the polls.
Union minister and BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said the TMC has turned the bypolls into a farce.
“Even in the bypolls, TMC resorts to fake voters. In Naihati, a TMC miscreant was caught by people while trying to cast a fraudulent vote. Claiming to be an agent for the ruling party’s candidate, he failed to present any valid ID.
“Shockingly, Mamata Banerjee’s loyal police force stepped in, rescuing him from the public instead of upholding justice. Is TMC, along with its sycophantic police force, acting out of fear of the people’s voice?” Majumdar posted on X with a video clip of an alleged fake voter being apprehended by police in Naihati constituency.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh termed the allegation as “baseless” and asserted that opposition parties were concocting narratives to undermine the ruling party’s electoral prospects.
“It is the TMC workers who are getting killed and the opposition is blaming us. The BJP and other opposition parties are trying to unleash violence during the polls,” he alleged.
In Madarihat, BJP candidate Rahul Lohar’s car was reportedly vandalised.
Sources said Lohar had gone to Mujnai, under Madarihat gram panchayat, to meet BJP workers when he encountered protests from TMC supporters. His car was blocked, and stones were hurled at it, they claimed.
Certain quarters of the TMC counter-alleged that Lohar resorted to vandalising his own vehicle to draw public sympathy.
TMC supporters claimed that BJP MP and former MLA Manoj Tigga had not been seen in the area in the past five years, nor carried out development work in the region attracting the voters’ discontentment with the BJP. Lohar also faced chants of “go back” from the crowd.
Tension erupted at a booth in Sitai, Cooch Behar, following allegations that two buttons on an EVM machine had been covered with tape. BJP candidate Deepak Roy claimed that at the polling booth in Hokdah Adabari SSK primary school, tape was found covering the first two buttons on the EVM.
Roy accused the presiding officer and other poll workers of negligence, stating, “This is a serious violation of the election process.” He then entered the booth himself and removed the tape from the EVM, which led to a commotion inside the booth. A heated exchange followed between Roy and the presiding officer, sources claimed.
The Trinamool Congress, however, claimed that voting had been proceeding peacefully until the BJP candidate’s arrival, which they claimed disrupted the process and accused him of stirring trouble.
Meanwhile, the Indian Secular Front (ISF), which has one MLA in the state assembly and is contesting from Haroa seat as a Left Front-supported candidate, also reported interference, claiming TMC workers were preventing its polling agents from entering certain booths in Haroa.
ISF’s allegations have added to the charged atmosphere, with both opposition and ruling party members exchanging accusations throughout the day.
To ensure a peaceful electoral process, 108 companies of the central armed police forces (CAPFs) have been deployed.
The Left Front has announced candidates for five of the six seats, including one CPI (ML) nominee. The Congress has fielded candidates in all six assembly segments. Votes will be counted on November 23.