Kolkata, Feb 27 (IANS) Polling for the bypoll to the Sagardighi Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district concluded on Friday with a voter turnout of of 73.49 per cent recorded till 5 p.m.
“It will take some time to get the final polling percentage. In all probability, it will be announced on Tuesday morning. Going by the rate of polling till 5 p.m., it can be said that the voter turnout was quite high going by bypoll standards. Barring some sporadic incidents of violence, the polling process was more or less peaceful,” said an official from the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress candidate Debasish Bandopadhyay alleged that the central armed forces resorted to unprovoked lathicharge on his party supporters outside booth No. 73.
“One of our supporters has been severely injured in the lathicharge. In certain cases, the central armed forces even attacked our party workers entering their houses,” Bandopadhyay alleged.
Left Front-supported Congress candidate Bayron Biswas alleged booth capturing by Trinamool workers at booth No. 62.
There were also allegations against the BJP of trying to allure voters by offering them food packets in front of certain polling booths.
The bypoll was necessitated following the sudden demise of Trinamool MLA Subrata Saha on December 29 last year.
He was a three-time Trinamool legislator from Sagardighi, securing victories in 2011, 2016 and 2021.
In 2021, he had defeated BJP’s Mafuja Khatun by a margin of 50,216 votes.
–IANS
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