Leader Online Desk: Voting in 102 constituencies in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections will begin on Saturday (April 19) in 21 states and Union Territories of the country. Meanwhile, polling is going on peacefully in other parts of the country except West Bengal. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP workers clashed as voting began for three of the 42 seats in West Bengal in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections at 7 am on Friday. At least one person was injured in the violence between two rival groups in Chandmari near Cooch Behar city. During the violence, stone pelting also took place. (Lok Sabha polls Voting first phase)
Meanwhile, in West Bengal, 33.56 percent polling was recorded till 11 am in the first phase.
Trinamool group president Ananth Burman was injured in a crude bomb attack in Bhetaguri, Trinamool claimed. He was admitted to the hospital. State Minister Udayan Guha rushed to the hospital to inquire about his health.
Both Trinamool and BJP have accused each other of intimidation of voters. There have also been allegations of preventing voters from entering polling booths and assaulting booth agents.
An official in the West Bengal Governor's office said that most of the calls related to poll violence and voter intimidation are coming from Cooch Behar. BJP has started a helpline at its office in Kolkata for complaints of election violence. Trinamool officials said that the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was monitoring the polls from Kolkata.
Out of 2,043 polling stations in Cooch Behar, 196 are sensitive. There have been incidents of violence during elections in this area before. On April 10, 2021, 5 people including voters were killed here during the assembly election polling. There are 56.26 lakh voters in the 3 Lok Sabha constituencies going to polls in the first phase of West Bengal. (Lok Sabha polls Voting first phase)
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