Amidst isolated incidents of violence and a charged political atmosphere, with contesting candidates seen publicly targeting their opponents, West Bengal registered 73% polling in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election.
Among the seven Lok Sabha constituencies that went to the polls, Arambag registered the highest polling at 76.90%, followed by Bangaon at 75.73%, Uluberia at 74.50%, while Hooghly registered 74.17% polling. Of the three urban constituencies polling in this phase, Sreerampur registered 71.18%, and Howrah and Barrackpore both registered 68.84% polling. These percentages are expected to rise as polling continued till 6 p.m.
Isolated incidents of violence were reported from Barrackpore, Bongaon, and Arambagh, and passions ran high when candidates contesting for Opposition parties were confronted by supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Residents gather at a polling station in south Howrah to cast their vote during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Election on May 20, 2024 | Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri
At Dhanekhali in Hooghly district, BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee came face to face with Trinamool Congress MLA Asima Patra, and slogans were raised by both sides. While TMC supporters led by Ms. Patra raised slogans of ‘Joy Bangla’, the BJP’s supporters responded with ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
“You are a thief,” Ms. Chatterjee shouted at Ms. Patra, who responded, “You are a dacoit”.
At Chandannagar in the Hooghly Lok Sabha Constituency, women with slippers in hand tried to accost Ms. Chatterjee.
Tension prevailed in Barrackpore on the other bank of the river Hooghly, where BJP candidate Arjun Singh faced protests by TMC supporters and was seen using unparliamentary language in public. At Manirampur in Barrackpore, police and central forces had to use to force to disperse a mob that was targeting Arjun Singh.
At the Uluberia Lok Sabha seat, Left-supported Congress candidate Ajhar Mullick was seen chasing TMC supporters from a polling booth. Slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ were also raised against TMC candidate Mitali Bag at Arambagh.
Clashes broke out between supporters of the TMC and the BJP in the Khanakul area of the Arambagh constituency as both parties clashed over stopping polling agents from entering the booths. In Bongaon constituency’s Gayeshpur area, local BJP leader Subir Biswas was allegedly beaten by TMC goons outside a booth. He was later shifted to hospital.
There were reports of violence from the Liluah area of Howrah, where the BJP accused TMC workers of booth jamming, leading to clashes between both groups.
In another development, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s youngest brother Babun Banerjee on Monday could not cast his vote after his name was not found in the voters’ list. Mr. Banerjee had made headlines when he had expressed his desire to contest from the Howrah seat as an independent candidate. He said he did not know the reason why his name was struck from the voters’ list.
The fate of 88 candidates, including 14 women, has been sealed in the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Among the issues dominating the ongoing general election in the State is the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and the decline in industries along both banks of the Hooghly river.
The CAA issue is likely to dominate the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, where Union Minister of State and BJP MP Shantanu Thakur is seeking re-election and is pitted against Trinamool Congress candidate Biswajit Das. The Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency, which has become synonymous with the protest against forcible land acquisition for the Tata Motors’ small car factory at Singur under the erstwhile Left Front regime, is witnessing a fight between two actors-turned-politicians — the BJP’s Ms. Chatterjee and the TMC‘s Rachana Banerjee.
The contest at Barrackpore between the BJP’s Arjun Singh, who switched sides two months ago after being denied a ticket by the State’s ruling party, and the TMC’s Partha Bhowmick has also proved to be interesting in this, the fifth phase.
After five phases, polling has concluded for 25 out of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.
