• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Sat, 01 Jun 2024 10:32 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Bengal Lok Sabha Election 2024: A mob looted reserve electronic voting machines (EVMs) and polling documents from the custody of a Sector Officer in the Jaynagar parliamentary constituency in West Bengal on Saturday shortly ahead of the commencement of polling for the seventh and last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state informed.

"Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond," West Bengal CEO posted on X (formerly Twitter).

An FIR has been lodged in the matter, the CEO said, adding that the polling process in the sector remained unaffected by the incident. "Sector Police was a little behind. FIR has been lodged by Sector Officer and necessary action has been initiated. Poll process in all six booths under the Sector is running uninterrupted. Fresh EVM and papers have been provided to the Sector Officer," another post in the CEO's X thread read.

Bengal Poll Violence: Clashes Reported In Previous Rounds

Nearly every phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election held so far has witnessed sporadic incidents of clashes in West Bengal between the cadres of the BJP and the state's ruling TMC. During the sixth phase, several instances of poll-related violence from different pockets in the state were reported since the first hour of polling. 

A local TMC leader in Mahishadal in West Bengal's East Midnapore district died in clashes amid polling for the sixth phase on Saturday. Later in the day, the convoy of BJP candidate from Jhargram in West Bengal came under attack by a mob as the constituency, along with 57 others across the nation, voted in the ongoing general polls.

(With inputs from agencies)