Over 78 percent turnout in West Bengal polls fourth phase

Kolkata Amid sweltering heat sporadic violence and allegations of electoral malpractice over 78 percent of the 108 crore voters on Monday exercised their right to franchise across 49 constituencies bordering Kolkata in the fourth phase of the West Bengal assembly electionsIndian voters wait to cast their ballots in the state assembly elections at a polling station in Madhyamgram on the outskirts of Kolkata PicPTIPolling took place in the two districts of Howrah 16 seats and North 24 Parganas 33 constituencies Balloting began at 7 am and ended at 6 pmA total of 7805 percent turnout was recorded till 5 pm 7916 percent in North 24 Parganas and 7546 percent in Howrah chief electoral officer Sunil Kumar Gupta told media persons hereGupta said the poll panel received 4173 complaints till 6 pm of which 4023 were disposed ofIn this phase 11 specific cases have been registered said Additional Director General of Police Law and Order Anuj SharmaAltogether 229 people were arrested 22 in specific cases and 207 under preventive sectionsOver 108 crore voters across 12481 polling stations including 27 auxiliary booths were eligible to decide the fate of 345 candidates including 40 womenThe BJPs Roopa Ganguly contesting from Howrah North alleged rampant boothcapturing and bogus voting and faced angry protests from alleged Trinamool Congress activists Ganguly was heckled allegedly by Trinamool activistsHer Trinamool rival retired international cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla denied the charge and accused her of influencing voters and disrupting the poll processShukla said a complaint was subsequently filed by the Trinamool with the poll panel seeking a report from the district administrationTanmoy Bhattacharya the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist candidate from North Dum Dum sustained injuries when alleged Trinamool activists pelted stones at his car Three people were arrested in this connection Barrackpore police commissioner Niraj Singh saidHe also said three people were arrested in connection with the attack on a family in Halishahar on Sunday nightAccording to the family several masked men entered their house at night and attacked them with sticks and bamboos and warned them against casting their votesA threeandhalfyearold girl was also beaten up Unfazed by the attack the toddlers mother on the day cast her voteChief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Election Commission accusing central forces of torturing the electorateToday I heard that in the name of central forces voters were tortured Can you imagine section 144 prohibitory orders has been imposedthey the EC are saying restrict peoples movement and put them under curfew What is this nonsenseShe claimed that her party during the day reached the magic figure required for majority 148Todays poll date is historic we will achieve majority and in the next days we will cross the mark she claimedCPIM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra complimented the people for voting in large numbers despite the obstructions threats and violence orchestrated by the TrinamoolHe said the central forces and the Election Commission were more active on Monday than in the earlier phasesUndesirable things like driving out opposition polling agents attempts to capture booths and obstruct voters happened in close to one percent of the boothsHe also predicted that the Left FrontCongress alliance were on course to winning 200 seats in the 294member assemblyA total of 672 companies of central forces and 23000 state police personnel were deployed to ensure free and fair polls in the two districts in view of past political clashes and pollrelated disturbancesIn the Sundarbans region equipped with ham radio and solar lights officials went the extra mile to ensure that the electorate gets a chance to exercise their voting rightsIn the 2011 polls the Trinamool then an ally of the Congress bagged 43 of the 49 seats The Congress got two the CPIM three and the CPI oneThe Trinamool and the BJP are in the fray in all the constituencies The Left and the Congress are contesting 46 seats leaving one seat to the Janata DalUnited besides backing two independentsKhardah in North 24 Parganas district is again witnessing a battle between two economists finance industries and IT minister Amit Mitra of the Trinamool and Asim Dasgupta of the CPIMWith Mondays poling in 49 constituencies elections have already been held in 216 of the 294 constituencies in the stateWhile 53 constituencies go to the hustings on April 30 the remaining 25 will vote on May 5