Kolkata: Two people died as about 70 percent voters exercised their democratic rights amid reports of sporadic violence during the fifth and final phase of panchayat (village council) polls in West Bengal yesterday.
An old voter collapsed and died while standing in a queue for in oppressive heat and humidity, while a CPI-M worker was killed in an attack.
At the scheduled closing time of 5 pm, the polling percentage was 70.43 in Cooch Behar, 78.50 in South Dinajpur, 70.37 in Jalpaiguri and 63.17 in North Dinajpur district, said a State Election Commission official in Kolkata.
With long queues still outside a large number of booths and voting likely to continue late into the night, the turnout was likely to go up.
Despite the tough weather conditions, voters, especially women, queued up outside polling booths since morning.
Narendra Barman collapsed and died after standing for long in a queue in hot and humid conditions outside a polling booth in Jaleswar, in Jalpaiguri district.
His family members alleged that despite his being ill and feeble, some party activists had forced him to go to cast his vote.
In Itahar, in North Dinajpur district, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) worker Abdul Aziz was killed after he was attacked allegedly by goons patronised by the ruling Trinamool Congress. The death count since round one of the polls on July 11 now stands at 24.
Clashes between supporters and activists of the Congress, Trinamool and CPI-M were reported from various places, resulting in injuries to many.
Police fired two rounds in the air at a polling booth in North Dinajpur following clashes between Congress and CPI-M workers. The Congress accused the CPI-M activists of carrying away a ballot box, but the Marxists denied the allegation.
IANS
