West Bengal: Mob In South 24 Parganas Throws EVM Into Pond; Violence During Lok Sabha Final Phase Polling In Bhangar

An angry mob disrupted the voting process in Kultali, South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal by infiltrating polling stations and throwing an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) into a nearby pond.

The unrest began after certain polling agents were allegedly barred from entering the booths, NDTV reported.

This exclusion incited anger among the locals, who forcefully entered the polling stations, seize the EVM equipped with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), and discarded it into a water body.

"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, 2 VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond...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," the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal said in a statement.

The morning saw violence amid allegations of attacks on workers and supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and CPI(M).

Several ISF members were injured, with the situation exacerbated by the presence of country-made bombs at the site.

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