Panchayat re-polling in Bengal more or less peaceful, polling percentage at 30.54% till 1 PM

Kolkata, July 10 Re-polling in 696 booths scattered over 19 districts for West Bengal panchayat elections was progressing on a peaceful note barring sporadic incidents of violence on Monday.

The polling percentage was recorded at 30.54 per cent till 1 p.m, as per information provided by the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC).

At Nadia, the local villagers blocked roads in protests after they were allegedly stopped by the ruling Trinamool Congress activists from voting this morning.

A Trinamool Congress youth leader was severely thrashed by the protesting villages and his motorcycle was vandalised. Later, the police personnel rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

A CPI(M) activist at Nakashipara, also in Nadia district, was injured being shot at during a clash between his party and Trinamool activists. He is under treatment at a local hospital in Kolkata.

Similarly, there were clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district.

Some crude bombs were hurled.

The police and central armed forces personnel quickly took control over the situation.

As the BJP state president and the party Lok Sabha member Sukanta Majumdar arrived at Gangarampur in South Dinajpur district, he faced protests from Trinamool Congress activists.

Majumdar got stranded there for around 40 minutes and was rescued by police later.

At Ankurhati in Howrah's Domjur area, the vehicle of Trinamool Congress candidate Sheikh Sultana was smashed allegedly by CPI(M) activists.

There were reports of sporadic violence from East Burdwan, South 24 Parganas.

However, the reports and seriousness of violence coming so far had been negligible compared to what it was on the polling day on Saturday when a number of violence-related deaths were reported.

--IANS