Violence erupted in West Bengal on Friday as Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri seats went to polls in Phase 1 of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused each other of hurting their poll agents and workers and disrupting the electoral process in the state.

Also Read: Lok Sabha elections phase 1 Live Updates

While TMC supporters were accused of stone pelting in Chandamari, leading to a BJP booth president suffering an injury, BJP workers were accused of attacking TMC workers in the Sitalkuchi and Chotosalbari Gram Panchayat areas. During the first hour of voting, bombs were allegedly recovered from the residence of a BJP booth president in Dinhata -II and a TMC polling camp in Sitai was attacked, sources told Indian Express.

BJP workers also claimed they were attacked in Natabari and injured cadre were admitted to Tufhangunj hospital in Cooch Behar. Apart from this, the saffron party claimed that houses of BJP Karyakartas were destroyed by TMC. The party also said that stone pelting by TMC workers in Chandamari to prevent voters from exercising their franchise led to BJP’s booth president suffering injuries.

In its counterclaim, the ruling TMC accused the BJP of orchestrating violence in the state, with the Mamata Banerjee-led party alleging that Union minister and BJP leader Nisith Pramanik was using his position to store arms in his office. They have also written a letter to the Election Commission in this regard.

TMC alleged that AITC Block President, Bhetaguri, Anant Barman was assaulted by BJP workers and is currently undergoing treatment in hospital. They also said BJP leaders Ratan Burman, Ajeet Mahanto and Hiren Mahanto hurled crude bombs and attacked AITC booth agents, triggering violence.

Till now, TMC has raised 21 complaints to the EC against the BJP.

Despite reports of violence, till 11 am, Cooch Behar recorded 33.63 per cent voter turnout, Alipurduar 35.20 per cent, and Jalpaiguri 31.94 per cent.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed 112 companies of central armed forces in Cooch Behar (SC) constituency, the highest among all three seats. During the 2021 Assembly elections, four people had died in alleged firing by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar district, which shares a border with Bangladesh. The EC has sanctioned 63 companies in Alipurduar (ST) and 75 in Jalpaiguri (SC). Apart from central forces, the poll panel has also deployed 4,500 state police personnel in Cooch Behar, 2,454 personnel in Alipurduar and 3,077 personnel in Jalpaiguri, IE reported.