Ahead of polling, clashes break out in West Bengal’s Bhatpara, bombs hurled, vehicles set ablaze

A massive violence broke out allegedly between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in West Bengal’s Bhatpara area on Saturday, a day before the assembly bypoll here. Incidents of bullet firing and bombing were also reported from the area. A couple of vehicles were also set on fire in the violence.

Violence has marred polling in West Bengal during the previous six phases. It spread to the streets of Kolkata on Tuesday, when suspected TMC and BJP workers clashed during a roadshow of saffron party chief Amit Shah.

A bust of polymath and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was damaged. Both the parties have blamed each other for its desecration.

By-poll to five assembly constituencies of West Bengal will be held on Sunday and the votes there will be counted along with those of all the Lok Sabha seats. The five assembly seats - Darjeeling, Islampur, Kandi, Habibpur (ST) and Bhatpara - fell vacant after the sitting MLAs resigned following their nomination to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

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Polling for the parliamentary constituencies of Darjeeling and Raiganj were held on April 18. Islampur assembly seat falls under Raiganj LS constituency.

Kandi assembly segment is under Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency where polling will be held in the fourth phase on April 29.

Habibpur falls under Malda Uttar parliamentary seat and Bhatpara under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. These two seats will go to polls on April 23 and May 6 respectively.