Heavy polling in West Bengal

The Election Commission sought a report from the Murshidabad district administration following a complaint filed by the Congress against Trinamool Congress Jangipur nominee Haji Nurul Islam for entering several polling booths with a group of workers.

Polling was stalled for some time in a booth under Itahar assembly segment of Balurghat constituency following allegations that all votes were being registered against the name of a particular candidate

The authorities said polling resumed after changing the malfunctioning EVM, but denied the charge that all votes were being registered in favour of any particular candidate.

The Congress demanded repolling in a booth in Malda district after two of its candidates and union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury from Malda South and Mausam Benazir Noor from Malda North could not cast their votes due to malfunctioning of EVMs.

Both Noor and Choudhury alleged rigging, voters being prevented from casting votes and insufficient deployment of central security personnel in their respective constituencies.