Voting for penultimate phase concludes, over 75% turnout

KOLKATA: Voting for the penultimate phase of Bengal polls ended at 6.30 pm. Polling took place across 34 seats in parts of PaschimBardhaman, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Malda and south Kolkata during this phase. A voter turnout of 75.06% was recorded till 5.31 pm.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, after casting his vote in Kolkata, predicted a 2/3rd majority for the Mamata Banerjee government.

A few incidents of scuffle were reported from the Asansol area, where TMC candidate SaayoniGhosh claimed that BJP activists tried to jam booths in her constituency. The allegation was dubbed as baseless by BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul, who asserted, "Ghosh is making excuses sensing defeat". In the Jamuria constituency, Left Front candidate AisheGhosh alleged that her party agents were stopped from entering the booth by TMC workers, a charge denied by the ruling party.

BJP candidate from the Rashbehari assembly constituency Lt Gen SubrataSaha's agent was detained on Monday for allegedly molesting a few women voters inside a polling booth in Kolkata's New Alipore area, police said. Mohan Rao was detained after several women voters claimed he tried to drag them holding their hands inside BidyaBharati School, a police officer said. "We have received a complaint in this regard and a probe is underway," he said. Rao, however, rubbished the allegations and said no such incident had taken place. "TMC activists are trying to create disturbance in the area. This is a deliberate attempt to disrupt the peaceful polling process," Saha said. (IANS)

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