The deployment of central paramilitary forces acted as a “disincentive” for voters for some hours at a booth in North Dinajpur on Monday, contrary to the scenario in the other re-polling booths.

Amid the backdrop of widespread violence during Saturday’s polling, the State Election Commission on Sunday ordered re-polling at 696 booths on Monday.

At 7am, when polling started, none of the 652 voters reached the booth at Dhumagarh FP School in Goalpokhar-II block of North Dinajpur. They started trickling in only after 9.30am.

The reason: on Saturday, around 5pm, when polling was on at the booth, the on-duty BSF personnel had resorted to lathi-charge and opened fire to disperse people.

Md Hasibul, a Trinamul supporter in his early twenties, suffered three bullet wounds.

It was alleged that Trinamul supporters tried to capture the booth that made the BSF open fire on Saturday.

After the lathi-charge and firing, around 100 voters in the queue had run away. On Sunday, the poll panel announced re-polling at the booth.

“The incident of firing by the BSF personnel left the villagers panicked, particularly because central forces were also deployed in the booth today (Monday). We told people they will not face any problems and that central forces were deployed for peaceful elections. It was only then that people came out to vote in groups,” said a senior Trinamul worker who, like many workers of various parties, went to homes asking villagers to vote.

At the end of the day, numbers were heartening: district officials said that 573 or 87 per cent voters had cast their franchise by the end of the day.

“Yes, eventually people did go to the booth to vote. However, there was silence in the booth today (Monday). Those who went hurriedly left after voting,” said Md Alam, a schoolteacher.

Kashouri Begum, Hasibul’s sister, admitted to an undercurrent of fear in the early hours of voting.

“Some BSF personnel were also posted in the booth on Monday. It left our neighbours panicky as the BSF firing at the booth occurred just two days ago. Initially, people didn’t go to the booth. Later, the male members of the families here went to cast their votes and returned home to assure the women. Then, the women went to vote,” said Kashouri, who again on Monday accused the BSF of firing at her brother without provocation.

Hasibul, his family said, was still critical and under treatment at a private nursing home in Bihar’s Purnea.

Jaspreet Singh, the Islampur police district SP, said a preliminary probe was on.

“A full-fledged inquiry will start in two or three days after the poll process ends,” he said.

Kanaialal Agarwala, the Trinamul chief of North Dinajpur, said they were in touch with Hasibul’s family and were taking inputs about his state of health.