West Bengal Assembly polls: 78% turn up to vote, 15 injured in poll violence

Young girls take a selfie after casting their votes at a polling station during the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly elections in Kolkata on Saturday

Kolkata: A heavy turnout of over 78 per cent was registered on Saturday in the fifth and penultimate phase of assembly polls in West Bengal, which saw sporadic incidents of violence that left seven people injured.

Young girls take a selfie after casting their votes at a polling station during the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly elections in Kolkata on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Voter turnout of 78.98 per cent was recorded from Hooghly district, 79.69 per cent in South 24 Parganas while Kolkata South the lowest turnout of 63.10 per cent.

In South 24 Parganas, six persons were injured in poll violence while one injury was reported from Hooghly. Four RSP workers were injured in a clash with TMC supporters at a booth at Bhangonkhali village in Basanti constituency after TMC activists allegedly prevented them from casting votes, a police officer said.

Meanwhile, in Rashbehari assembly constituency of south Kolkata, Riya Sarkar became the first transgender presiding officer of a booth in South City International School. A number of heavyweights including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are in the fray in this phase. Altogether 349 candidates, including 43 women, are trying their luck in Saturday's election across three districts.

Senior Trinamool Congress ministers also accused central paramilitary forces of misbehaving with voters "in the name of maintaining law and order" and expressed confidence in winning the ongoing Assembly polls in Bengal. "The Central Paramilitary Forces are frisking people without any reason, browbeating voters. We condemn this. But irrespective of such intimidation, we will win the polls," senior TMC leader and state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said.