Man injured by crude bomb during Kolkata polls

Bengal police have confirmed that one man suffered injuries to his leg due to a crude bomb that went off during voting for municipal elections at the polling station near Taki Boy's School in the north-east part of the Bengali capital of Kolkata. The injured is an elderly man who was injured by splinters as the bomb went off.

Two crude bombs also went off near Khanna cinema in north Kolkata but there was no report of injury.

"The incident took place around 200 metres from the polling station. The election process has not been affected by this. A huge police contingent has been deployed in the area. We have appealed to voters to exercise their right to franchise without fear. The injured man has been taken to hospital," Priyabrata Roy, deputy commissioner of police (eastern suburban division), told the media.

Members of the ruling Trinamool Congress, BJP and the Congress party have accused each other of attempting to stall the elections or capture booths and intimidate voters and party members with BJP leader Meena Devi Purohit alleging that a woman had assaulted her and torn her blouse polling station in Maheswari Boy's School in central Kolkata in the morning.

The capital has been on high alert following the deployment of 23,500 policemen and imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the 100 metre radius of all polling stations to ensure safety of party workers and voters.

The BJP also lodged a complaint with the state election commission saying the ruling party unleashed violence all over the city so that voters stayed away from polling stations. The party announced that its workers will start an agitation from 1 pm and intensify the protest after polling was over.

The voter turnout was recorded at 38% as of 1 PM, with a dip in the morning due to low temperatures. The three main parties are contesting in the city's 144 civic wards where the Trinamool Congress (TMC) currently controls 126 of these seats.