Fresh polling was underway on Monday at 696 booths across19 districts of West Bengal for the three- tier panchayat system with reports of sporadic violence coming from different pockets of the state.
However, the reports and seriousness of violence coming so far had been negligible compared to what it was on the polling day on Saturday when a number of violence- related deaths were reported in the first two hours of polling. There were adequate central armed forces both within and outside booths where the polling was going on.
Several police officers and policemen were seen approaching the voters at their residence and offering to escort them to the polling stations.
Although on late Sunday night, the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) had issued a notification claiming that there will be fresh polling for 697 booths on Monday morning it was learnt that the number has been reduced by one.
The maximum number of booths where the re-polling is going on since Monday morning is in Murshidabad, followed by Malda and Nadia.
At Domjur in Howrah district tension mounted over the alleged attempts to break in the strong-room where the ballot- boxes were stored. As tension mounted a police contingent reached the spot and took the situation under control.
According to the CPI(M) state secretariat member Kallol Majumdar the back side wall of the strong room has been broken by Trinamool Congress miscreants.
"There had been reports of violence from Khejuri in East Midnapore district where three ballot boxes were thrown in an adjacent pond. The ruling party activists have been hurling bombs in the area since Sunday night. The central forces personnel are not visible there," he said.
Trinamool Congress leadership, however, denied the allegations.
Crucial winter session of Tripura Assembly to begin from tomorrow
The crucial winter session of the Tripura assembly would begin on Friday and a bill would be moved in the House amending the existing law to provide retirement benefits to all MLAs who have served even for just a day, officials said on Thursday.
GRP arrested 35 human traffickers in Tripura in 5 months
The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested 35 human traffickers in the last five months in Tripura for facilitating illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India, officials said on Monday.
23 injured in two separate road accidents in Tripura
At least 10 students and a woman suffered breathing problems and six of them immediately shifted to the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital and their condition stated to be not serious.
India well prepared to handle HMPV, surveillance shows no unusual surge: Centre
India is well-prepared to handle respiratory illnesses and surveillance shows no unusual surge in the country, according to the government, as reports surface about rising cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China in the past few weeks.
PM Modi guarantees continuation of free welfare schemes in Delhi
No existing public welfare scheme in Delhi will be withdrawn after BJP comes to power in Delhi, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, virtually guaranteeing the continuation of free water, power and bus travel for women offered by the current AAP government.
Big milestone: Indian metro network now third-largest in the world
India has achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching 1,000 kilometres in its metro network, solidifying its position as the world's third-largest metro system.
‘Jagriti’ awareness drive to aware students about road safety and consumer rights
To make the students aware about road safety and consumer rights, the government is set to launch ‘Jagriti’ – an awareness programme from January 11 next, said minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Saturday.
Ex-CM accuses BJP of divisive politics to mask hide core issues
Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Saturday criticized the ruling BJP, accusing it of fostering divisions among Hindus, Muslims, Tribals, and Non-Tribals to divert attention from pressing issues such as rising prices, unemployment, and economic hardships.