Kolkata (West Bengal): Polling has started for the formation of the new board of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Sunday. The polling began at 7 am and will end at 5 pm. In the first two hours, the polling percentage has been reported at 4.37%, according to the State Election Commission.
Stray incidences of violence have been reported during the first two hours of the polls. The needle of allegation is pointed mainly towards the ruling Trinamool Congress. In the first two hours, most of the reports of the stray violence and scuffles were reported mainly from north Kolkata. The polling process in South Kolkata was more or less peaceful.
During the early hour of the poll, the tension broke out at a polling booth at Taki School in the Sealdah area, after the Congress candidate alleged that the ruling party had assembled outsiders at the polling booth, who were intimidating the voters.
In the Jorashanko area in north Kolkata, veteran BJP councillor Meena Devi Purohit complained that she was heckled by the ruling party activists and in that process, her dress got snapped. However, the ruling party leaders rubbished her claims and counter-claimed that in every election Purohit floats such fake allegations to create tension. A minor scuffle between the Trinamool Congress and BJP activists also ensued. However, the huge police contingent present there quickly brought the situation under control.
Meanwhile, in a couple of booths, the polling process was delayed because of the malfunctioning of the EVMs. The opposition parties alleged that in certain booths the CCTV machines were not functioning. However, the State Election Commission refuted the allegations.
CPM leadership alleged that their agents had been getting threatening calls from the ruling party since Saturday night. However, Trinamool Congress has refuted the allegations.
READ:Polling begins in 144 wards of Kolkata Municipal Corporation
