NEW DELHI: West Bengal recorded a very high voter turnout of over 91 per cent on Wednesday and there were reports of sporadic violence during the second phase of assembly elections.According to the Election Commission, the state’s total turnout in both phases hit a record 92.47 per cent, the highest level since independence. The turnout in the second phase was approximately 91.66%, while the turnout in the first phase on April 23 was 93.19%.
“The combined poll percentage for both phases was 92.47%,” the poll watchdog said.The total electorate in West Bengal is Rs 681 crore.Despite the large turnout, incidents of violence and vandalism were reported in several districts including Chhapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bangal.A BJP polling agent was allegedly attacked by “goons associated with the ruling TMC” in Chhapra in Nadia district, party leaders said. A senior police officer said the injured person, named Mosharef Mir, had been taken to a local hospital.BJP candidate Saikat Sarkar said the incident took place just after the mock polls began. “TMC supporters obstructed the BJP agent and hit him on the head, causing him injuries,” he said. A complaint has been lodged with the local police, but the TMC has denied the allegations.The injured agent claimed that 15-16 TMC supporters charged at him, one of whom was armed with a gun. He said he was hit with a stick and fell.In Shantipur, the BJP camp office in Sector 16 was vandalized and furniture damaged on Wednesday morning, leading to tension in the area, police said.In Bangal in South 24 Parganas, an ISF operative was allegedly prevented from entering a polling station, leading to riots. ISF leader Arabul Islam claimed that “agents’ forms were snatched away and thrown away… Women were not allowed to vote. We arranged for proxies so that everyone could vote. “There were also delays in polling at Nimtala polling station No. 140, which did not even start till 7:30 am, leading to tension among voters.“We have sought reports from the relevant officials posted in these areas. They have been asked to ensure that voting is free and fair and everyone can participate without intimidation,” an official from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.Despite these events, the election saw record participation rates. Previously, the state’s highest turnout in the 2011 assembly elections was 84.72%.Female voters participated in slightly more numbers than male voters. According to EC data, the female voting rate during this phase was 92.28%, while the male voting rate was 91.07%.Across the states, voter turnout was also high. On April 9, the voting rates in Assam and Puducherry were 85.38% and 89.83% respectively, reaching record highs. In Tamil Nadu, women voters also outnumbered men, with a participation rate of 85.76 per cent compared to 83.57 per cent for men.In West Bengal, the female voting rate was 92.69%, which was higher than the male voting rate of 90.92%.Commenting on the high turnout, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said: “The turnout in West Bengal has reached its highest level since independence and the EC salutes every voter in the state.”Counting of votes in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Assam will take place on May 4.
