Sporadic violence during Bengal civic polls

Kolkata, April 25:

Sporadic violence took place in West Bengal during polling for 91 civic bodies on Saturday.

The voter turnout was nearly 16 percent in the first two hours, an official said.

“Around 16 percent of polling has been recorded in the first two hours. We have received reports of some violence and looking in to them. So far no major incident has taken place,” a state election commission official said.

Nearly 74 lakh people will cast their votes to decide the political fate of 7,636 candidates contesting for 1,946 wards of the 91 municipal bodies – one Notified Area, two Municipal Corporations (Siliguri and Chandannagar) and 88 municipalities spread across north and south Bengal.

Of the 8,756 polling stations, 2,318 have been identified as sensitive and 2,142 as hypersensitive by the poll panel. Besides a large number police personnel, 35 companies of central forces have been deployed for the polls.

Results will be declared on April 28. (IANS)