The familiar picture of violence during elections resurfaced in Bengal during the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls held on Monday in eight South Bengal constituencies with chief minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the BJP of manipulating electronic voting machines.

Though no lives were lost, blood was spilled and a prominent candidate attacked.

“Votes cast on the Trinamul symbol went to the BJP. We caught them red-handed and got the electronic voting machines changed,” Mamata claimed at a campaign meeting in North 24-Parganas Bongaon. “In the border areas, central forces were using their strength to organise votes for the BJP. In Chapra (part of Krishnagar Lok Sabha) they were using force. We caught them."

She also alleged that Asansol BJP candidate S.S. Ahluwalia had threatened two Trinamul leaders to work for him during the polls or get arrested. “Money has been offered too. We are keeping an account of who received how much,” she said.

In the same speech, Mamata predicted the BJP will win around 190-195 seats, while the Opposition alliance will get over 300 seats.

According to figures released by the Election Commission, the overall turnout in the eight constituencies till 5pm was around 75.66 per cent. Bolpur recorded the highest at 77.77 per cent, while the lowest was in Asansol at 69.43 per cent.

In the other constituencies, the turnout was 77.46 per cent in Ranaghat, 77.29 per cent in Krishnanagar, 77.36 per cent in Burdwan East, 75.45 per cent in Birbhum, 75.36 per cent in Berhampore and 75.02 per cent in Burdwan-Durgapur seats.

Among the three most watched seats in this phase – Berhampore, Krishnanagar and Burdwan-Durgapur – allegations surfaced for repeated incidents of violence and voter intimidation. By 11 am, just four hours after the polling started, the Election Commission had received 1,088 complaints.

BJP candidate from Burdwan-Durgapur Dilip Ghosh's car was attacked twice, first at Manteswar and next in Burdwan Town itself. Two of his security guards sustained injuries, while two of the vehicles in the convoy were damaged.

“As polling progresses in the south Bengal constituencies, the Trinamul’s desperation will increase and so will the incidents of violence,” said BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya.

An injured person after clahes between supporters of TMC and BJP, in Susunia area of Bardhman. PTI picture.

In Krishnanagar where the Trinamul's Mahua Moitra is contesting, both the CPM candidate, S.M. Sadi, and the BJP's Amrita Ray had to accompany voters to polling booths in Chapra and Nakashipara as they were not being allowed to walk out of their homes to the polling booths.

Moitra, however, claimed polling was peaceful.

Two CPM cadres sustained injuries during a clash with Trinamul workers. In Birbhum’s Hasan, villagers chased away alleged Trinamul-supported goons who had assaulted a BJP polling agent and were not allowing voters to head to the polling booths.

In Berhampore, the constituency of Congress leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha and state party president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, complaints of voter intimidation, booth jams, false voting and rigging came from the gram panchayat of Kuli under Burwan Assembly segment, Salar under the Bharatpur Assembly and Bharatpur.

Congress leader and party candidate from Baharampur constituency Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting his vote for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Murshidabad district. PTI picture.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls Congress, had lodged complaints in over 200 booths, while leads from the Assembly segments of Berhampore and Kandi helped Chowdhury sail through. In 2021, BJP won the Assembly seat of Berhampore. On Monday, Chowdhury’s focus was entirely on Berhampore town to ensure that voters came out of their homes and went to the booths, as he went to and fro between the Congress district office and the booths.

Trinamul on the other hand kept its candidate, Yusuf Pathan, in Naoda and Burwan, where the party is plagued with infighting to keep the supporters upbeat.

“According to our calculations, 76 per cent voters have cast their votes. People are still in the queues in many booths. There is no reason to worry,” Chowdhury said around 7.30 pm.

While there was no loss of life during the polls, a murder did take place a little over 10 hours before polling began in Burdwan’s Ketugram. Bombs were hurled at Trinamul worker Mintu Sheikh, whose family members claimed he had severed ties with the party three months ago, while he was returning to his home at Chuchuri village on Sunday night. An injured Mintu was attacked by sharp weapons. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Though the local Trinamul leaders blamed local CPM supporters for the murder, a preliminary report submitted by police hinted at “old enmity” behind the murder. The motive behind the murder is not clear, though the family pointed fingers at internal feud in the Trinamul.

In the next phase scheduled for May 20, polls will be held in the seven constituencies of south Bengal - Bongaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly, Arambagh. Most of these constituencies in the past have witnessed widespread intimidation and violence that has stretched beyond the polling hours.