Barring one incident,fourth phase polling went off peacefully in Bengal

Election Commission has said that 76.16 per cent polling has been recorded till 5 PM in the 4th Phase of Assembly polls held in West Bengal on Saturday. The Commission said polling was conducted in 15 thousand 940 Polling Stations spread across 44 Assembly Constituencies. It said, based on report received from Special Observers on the reported incident of violence at one Polling Station, No.126 under Sitalkuchi Assembly Constituency in Cooch Behar, the Poll Body has adjourned the Poll. The Commission said,the firing incident at a polling booth in Sitalkuchi took place after locals attacked security personnel due to a "misunderstanding".  The agitated mob attacked the CISF personnel who were detailed at the polling booth with "deadly equipment". Apart from this, the mob allegedly also tried to attack polling officials. On being attacked, CISF personnel fired in open air to disperse the crowd and take control of the situation without causing any injuries to anyone. However, it did not deter the mob. Faced with no other alternative, to save their lives and government property like EVM and other polling materials, the CISF personnel opened fire. As a result, four persons who got bullet injury succumbed to their injuries at the local hospital," the EC statement said.

Peaceful and orderly voting took place on 15 thousand 939 booths except one booth where re-polling has been ordered. As a major push for conducting free and fair elections, live monitoring and webcasting of more than 50 per cent of Polling Stations including critical and vulnerable polling booths was put in place to ensure a safe and secure atmosphere in polling areas.The Election Commission expressed gratitude to all stakeholders specially the voters for their enthusiastic and fearless participation in the election process today. The Commission particularly thanks Divyangs, senior citizens, service voters for taking part in elections honoring COVID protocol norms.