LIVE | Lok Sabha polls: 58.34% turnout till 5 pm; violence rocks Bengal
West Bengal: Sporadic incidents of violence
Sporadic incidents of violence marred the seventh and finalphase of Lok Sabha polls in the nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, as TMC and BJP workers clashed in various parts of violence-prone Jadavpur and Diamond Harbour constituencies.
Clashes broke out between supporters of the TMC, ISF, and the BJP in Jadavpur constituency as both parties clashed over stopping polling agents from entering the booths. A confrontation erupted in Bhangar within the Jadavpur constituency between backers of Trinamool Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), with allegations of crude bombs being hurled from both sides.
Police intervention ensued, triggering protests as both factions accused each other. To quell the situation, security personnel resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the mob, recovering several crude bombs.
Angry voters of Kultuli within Joynagar constituency took drastic measures by hurling electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VV-PAT) machines into nearby waterbodies. Their actions were fuelled by feelings of electoral misconduct, reflecting their frustration over perceived voting restrictions.
The incident occurred in Ward 127 where BJP candidate Ashok Kandari levelled accusations against opposition representatives, alleging their interference with the poll proceedings.
Trinamool Congress supporters have accused the ISF of orchestrating the violence to intimidate voters. Prompt action from local law enforcement led to lathi charges and the arrest of suspects in the Polerhat area of Bhangar.
Himachal: 14.35% voter turnout till 9 am in 4 Lok Sabha seats
Braving icy heights: Elections at world's highest polling station
Tashigang is a tiny village perched high in the icy Himalayas at a staggering altitude of 15,256 feet. This village holds the distinction of hosting the highest polling station in the world.
Located near the India-China border, the Spiti valley is part of the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, one of the four parliamentary constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and the second largest in India. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is up against the Congress's Vikramaditya Singh from the seat.
The polling station at Tashigang, serving 62 voters from Tashigang and Gete, has been made a model polling booth.
The hour-and-a-half-long journey to Tashigang, located on the other side of a mountain facing the SDM's office in Kaza, is as formidable as the landscape itself -- rugged terrain, narrow winding dirt roads and unpredictable weather.
Yet, for Prem Lal and his team of booth-level officers, the assignment carries a sense of purpose. In a place where the harsh environment shapes every aspect of life, facilitating the democratic process is both a "duty and an honour".
"I have been part of a team that conducted elections at Hikkim (also in the Spiti valley), the second-highest polling station in the country, in the past. So I have some experience," Lal said, laughing as he walked to board a white Bolero car with an electronic voting machine (EVM) in his hands.
After a brief pause, he added, "Thoda dikkat to hoga (there will be some difficulties)," acknowledging the challenges ahead, especially for those unaccustomed to such a difficult terrain with no mobile connectivity and limited power supply.
But preparations are meticulous.
"The team will get a satellite phone and runners will be deployed to relay polling data to the headquarters," Additional District Commissioner Rahul Jain told PTI. "The terrain is tough, but our teams are committed and we have made all the preparations," he added.