84.24% polling in last phase of Bengal elections

KOLKATA: Thousands of enthusiastic people, including centenarians from the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar, cast their maiden votes in the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly polls here on Thursday.

Overall, more than 84 per cent of the 58,04,019 voters exercised their franchise across 25 constituencies of Cooch Behar (nine) and East Midnapore districts (16), to bring the curtains down on the staggered month-long polls to the 294-member legislature in the eastern state.

170 candidates, including 18 women, were in the fray.

There were sporadic incidents of irregularities with the opposition parties accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of resorting to malpractices since balloting began at 7 a.m.

But the day belonged to the voters from the 51 erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar who were registered as electors for the first time since the country's Independence.

The enclaves were swapped with Bangladesh after the Land Boundary Agreement was implemented last year.

Trinamool candidate from Cooch Behar's Natabari Rabindra Nath Ghosh landed in a controversy when he was caught on camera threatening a polling officer inside the polling booth.

In a video broadcast by a TV channel, Ghosh is seen entering the booth in his constituency and verbally intimidating the polling official and even asking him where he was employed.

In East Midnapore, thousands turned up in over 4,000 disabled voter-friendly booths, aided by the Election Commission's special initiatives.

In Moyna seat, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) alleged that its polling agent's house was broken into and vandalised by Trinamool supporters. The Trinamool, meanwhile, accused the Congress of overwhelming several booths in the onstituency.

Five Trinamool workers were reportedly detained in the assembly segment on the charge of intimidating voters.

In Nandigram, the opposition accused the Trinamool of intimidating and threatening their agents.

The main focus is on Nandigram, where a peasants agitation in 2006-07 against the then Left Front government's bid to acquire farmland for a chemical hub and a special economic zone led to police firing that resulted in 14 deaths. The peasants' protest played a pivotal role in the ouster of the Left Front after 34 years in office.

In 2011, the Trinamool Congress, then in alliance with the Congress, won 20 seats. The Congress got one, while Left Front partner Forward Bloc triumphed in four seats.

This time, the Left Front and the Congress have teamed up against the Trinamool.

While the Left Front is in the fray in 18 seats, the Congress is contesting four constituencies. The alliance has extended support to three Independent candidates.

The Trinamool and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are contesting all the 25 seats.
The votes will be counted on May 19.