Lok Sabha polls: Massive turnout in West Bengal, 82 pc voting recorded

Kolkata: A voter turnout of nearly 82 per cent was recorded in six parliamentary constituencies in the second leg of the five-phase elections in West Bengal on Thursday. "On an average 81.42 per cent of the voters cast their votes till 6 pm in the six constituencies of Raiganj, Balurghat, Malda North, Malda South, Jangipur and Murshidabad in north Bengal," Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said.

"However, there are long queues in many polling stations and the polling will continue till they are cleared. The final turnout can reach about 84 per cent," Gupta said.

People boycotted polls in five booths, two in Malda and three in North Dinajpur districts, protesting the lack of development.

Four presiding officers and a micro-observer were removed by the Election Commission following complaints of partiality and show-cause notice and departmental proceedings were slapped against them, Gupta said.

The three presiding officers were removed for allowing Trinamool Congress candidate SK Nurul Islam and his followers inside the polling premises flouting section 144 of CrPC under the Sagardighi Assembly segment of the Jangipur parliamentary constituency.

A case was instituted against the TMC candidate and his followers, while a large number of vehicles used by them illegally were seized, Gupta said.

Steps were also taken against another presiding officer and a micro-observer under Domkal in Murshidabad district.

A complaint was lodged with the EC by RSP alleging only TMC candidate from Balurghat Arpita Ghosh's votes were being recorded at a booth near Itahar.

The CEO said, "It was a case of malfunctioning of the EVM and we replaced it immediately. Polling began immediately after a brief halt," the CEO said.

Some EVMs were replaced during mock polling due to malfunction in a number of booths, Gupta said.

"We have not received report of any other major incident regarding disruption of law and order or complaint of booth jamming or violation of the Model Code of Conduct," he said.

The elections would decide the fate of 78 candidates including four women.

Prominent candidates include President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit and Mamata Banerjee's bete noire, Union Minister Deepa Dasmunshi.

The state's Special Observer Sudhir Kumar Rakesh described the election as a peaceful one and expressed satisfaction with the arrangements.

To a question, Rakesh ruled out allegations on irregular deployment of central force.