Seventh phase of voting: EVMs, VVPAT looted in West Bengal, thrown into pond

Polling in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections to nine seats in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday. Amid tight security arrangements an angry mob reportedly barged into polling booths and allegedly looted EVMs and VVPAT, disrupting the voting process.

According to multiple media reports, the unrest erupted after some polling agents were stopped from entering polling booths.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), CEO West Bengal stated, "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 were looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond. Sector Police was a little behind. 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."

A video shared by news agency PTI showed, EVMs and VVPAT lying in the pond.

Meanwhile, another video showed cops chasing the mob away from polling station amid unrest.

Significantly, voting in Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar seats will continue till 6 pm, ECI said.

A total of 1.63 crore voters, including 83.19 lakh men, 80.20 lakh women and 538 persons of the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 17,470 polling stations.

Of the 124 candidates in the fray, Kolkata Dakshin has the highest at 17, followed by Jadavpur (16), and 15 each in Basirhat and Kolkata Uttar.

Fourteen candidates are contesting from Dum Dum, 12 each from Barasat, Diamond Harbour and Mathurapur and 11 in Jaynagar.

Several heavyweight candidates, including Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, sitting MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Sougata Roy, and Mala Roy, former Union minister Debasree Chaudhuri of the BJP, and senior CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty are in the fray.

The ECI has deployed 967 companies of central forces along with over 33,000 state policemen for the final phase, the official said, adding that 246 companies of central forces along with 11,000 state policemen will be deployed in Kolkata.

Also watch: Congress refuses to take part in exit poll debates | Lok Sabha elections