Clash between BJP and TMC workers in Birbhum leaves eight injured

A clash between BJP and TMC workers today left eight persons injured in Dumrut village in Birbhum district where polling is underway, police said. Three workers from both sides were arrested, they said. BJP has claimed all the injured as their supporters.

Tension also prevailed at Sian village under Nanoor constituency in Birbhum and at Kankartala village under Dubrajpur constituency with the Forward Bloc alleging that their agents were threatened by the Trinamool Congress.

Reports from north Bengal, where polls are being held in six districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda besides Birbhum in South Bengal, said non-functioning EVMs caused delays in beginning the polling process as voters waited patiently in queue.

The weather being cloudy however, provided the voters reprieve in north Bengal. Reports from Malda said seven EVMs failed to function at Englishbazar, Chanchol and Manikchak as polling began at 7 AM delaying voting by an hour.

In Jalpaiguri, voting was stalled temporarily at a booth in Jalpaiguri Sadar as the VVPAT did not function, polling officials said. Four EVMs—two at Jalpaiguri Sadar constituency and two at Rajganj—did not function properly delaying polling.

In Darjeeling district, a malfunctioning EVM resulted in a two hour delay as polling began in the morning at Matigara-Naxalbari (SC) assembly constituency, polling officials said.

Birbhum district in South Bengal where elections are also being held today reported malfunctioning of EVMs in three booths at Karidhya under Suri Assembly constituency.