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70 to 75 percent voting in West Bengal civic polls despite violence | The West Bengal civic polls witnessed 70 to 75 per cent polling on Sunday despite violent incidents reported from different parts of the State. In today’s
polls, about 8.5 million voters exercised their franchise in 81 municipalities.
At various polling booths, hundreds of voters made a beeline to cast their franchise.
Incidents of skirmishes and bomb-throwing were reported from some parts of the
State during which some people suffered injuries and police had to fire to disburse
the miscreants. Given the highly charged atmosphere across the state over Sunday’s
civic elections, worse was expected but trouble was thankfully limited. Trouble
broke out between the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist ( CPI -M) cadres
and Trinamool Congress workers in Jamuria of Burdwan, and Naihati in North 24
Parganas district. The security forces had to resort to baton charge to control
the situation. Activists of the two parties also clashed in Beleghata in the city,
stalling the polling. At some places, there were complaints of Electronic Voting
Machine (EVM) snags affecting the polling. Political issues and not civic problems
had taken centrestage in the run up to the polls, but Friday's Gyaneswhari Express
derailment, which claimed 145 lives, has eclipsed all other matters over the last
three days. Drowned in the political cacophony were the civic issues -- water
supply, roads, sanitation, maintenance of parks and pollution -- that are of critical
concern to the people. Sunday’s poll is considered as the last trial of strength
for the contesting parties ahead of the assembly election which are expected to
be scheduled in 2011. |
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