ELECTION | Friday, May 1, 2009 | Email | Print | 
Peaceful polling in Bengal
Saugar Sengupta | Kolkata
Amid reports of clashes between supporters of Trinamool Congress and CPM at some places and ‘rigging’ in certain pockets, the first phase of voting in West Bengal was by and large peaceful. The Election Commission said 64 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in 14 constituencies.
Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh, contesting from Darjeeling, has reportedly faired well. Singh was pitted against Jibesh Sarkar of the CPM. A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader said there were good chances of Jaswant winning the seat as “majority of people in the hill participated in the election ignoring Subas Ghising’s poll boycott call”.
Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee alleged ‘rampant rigging’ by CPM in Keshpur area of Ghatal constituency, where party candidate Nure Alam Chowdhury is pitted against Gurudas Dasgupta of CPM.
“The CPM has rigged polls in Keshpur, Malda, Raiganj, Bankura, Bishnupur and other places,” she said. She also said that the party will formally lodge a complaint with the EC and demand repolling in these areas.
CLP Leader Manas Bhunia said the State had received 220 companies of paramilitary forces but reserved only 140 companies for the four Maoist-infested blocks and distributed the rest among other constituencies.
Clashes between the CPM and Opposition workers were reported in North Malda constituency and Bankura’s Taldangra area, police said. However, Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said the polling was by and large peaceful. He also said two BSF personnel were injured in a landmine blast at Biramdi in Purulia district.
A large part of Lalgarh did not take part in the poll following People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities’ boycott of administration. The development is likely to harm the CPM’s prospects. “More than 35,000 people failed to cast their vote,” said a senior Midnapore official. The PCPA boycott was coupled with a similar call given by the Maoists of Belpahari region in West Midnapore and parts of Purulia district.
EC sources said Cooch Behar, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri had recorded 72, 60 and 43 per cent respectively while the figure for Raiganj, Balurghat and Malda North was 75 per cent, 70 per cent and 61 per cent. In Bankura, 65 per cent and in Purulia 60 per cent votes were cast.
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