Chaos erupted outside a polling booth in Howrah as a few people were carried away from the spot by CRPF personnel on Wednesday as people vote for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly Elections.
Voters say that voting began in Howrah at 8.30 a.m. after three failed attempts to vote, owing to a machine malfunctioning. They also say that a few people were tring to disrupt the voting process and were taken away by the security personnel.
Incidents of violence and vandalism were reported from parts of West Bengal during the early hours of voting in the second phase of the assembly elections on Wednesday, as reported by PTI. The incidents were reported from multiple locations, including Chapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bhangar.
In Shantipur, a BJP camp office in ward number 16 was found vandalised on Wednesday morning, with furniture smashed, triggering tension in the area, police said. In Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, allegations surfaced that an ISF agent was prevented from entering a polling booth, sparking unrest.
Voting was delayed at booth number 140 in Nimtala, where polling had not begun even by 7.30 am, leading to tension among voters.
Meanwhile, police issued a warning to Kartik Banerjee, brother of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as well as TMC workers, who gathered close to a polling booth, stating that no more than four people would be allowed to gather at a spot, officials said.
Heavy central force deployment was reported in Diamond Harbour and Falta, with units of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) stationed to maintain order.
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