Turnout around 80 per cent in sixth phase in West Bengal

Kolkata:Barring splinter injuries to at least six persons, including a child, at Titagarh in North 24 Pargana district, nearly a casualty free election was witnessed on Thursday in West Bengal's 43 assembly seats for the sixth phase in four districts with turnout being around 80 per cent.

At least six persons, including a child, sustained splinter injuries in the North 24 Pargana district's Titagarh assembly constituency after bombs were hurled indiscriminately on Thursday afternoon amid the voting exercise for the sixth phase of polls, a police officer said.

A preliminary probe has revealed that unidentified persons, wearing masks, hurled several crude bombs near Tat Gate in Titagarh, he added.

Several incidents of crude bombs explosions were reported in Barrackpore industrial belt in North 24 Parganas district during the sixth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls on Wednesday

Film director-turned-TMC candidate Raj Chakraborty was gheraoed in Barrackpore constituency by BJP supporters, who accused him of influencing voters. Chakraborty denied the allegations.

Sporadic violence was also reported from Bijpur constituency in North 24 Parganas, where TMC and BJP supporters clashed with each other outside polling booths. Two supporters of the TMC and three of the BJP were reportedly injured in the clashes. A huge contingent of security forces was rushed to the troubled areas to control the situation.

A clash took place between BJP and Trinamool at Lichubagan in Khardah. BJP claimed their camp office was allegedly ransacked at Titagarh by Trinamool around 12 noon.

In the Halisahar area of Naihati constituency in North 24 paraganas, BJP alleged that bombs were hurled at the residence of a local party leader, and that his mother and younger brother suffered injuries. ISF camp vandalised in Naihati,In Amdanga constituency, country-made crude bombs were recovered by police personnel

In Raiganj, sources in the TMC said one of the ruling party activists sustained serious injuries after he was allegedly stabbed by BJP workers.A clash took place between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Dinajpur's Chopra area.

One BJP and one TMC agent beaten up at Mongolkot in Burdwan district.A voter at a booth near Nandigram village, Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district was given first aid by the ITBP medic team during the sixth phase of polling.

BJP candidate at Labhpur in Birbhum district attacked during poll campaign on Thursday. Biswajit Mondal the candidate claimed his car was ransacked.

The sixth phase of polls is being held in the midst of an unprecedented Covid-19 surge. West Bengal registered it’s highest-ever single-day spike, with 9,819 people testing positive. A total of 2.95 lakh Covid cases 2,023 deaths were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours.(UNI)