Lok Sabha election: One killed in Bengal violence as nation votes in third phase
New Delhi/Kolkata, Apr 23 (IBNS): The third and largest phase of the national election on Tuesday recorded 63.24 percent voters' turnout with West Bengal witnessing massive violence in which at least one person was killed.
According to reports, a voter, who was also a Congress supporter, was killed in the violence that erupted in Bengal. The victim, Piarul Abul Kalam, was standing in the queue at Ranitala Baligram booth to cast his ballot when the rival supporters of TMC and Congress activists involved in fighting with bamboo, clubs and other weapons near Bhagobangola.
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Instances of violence were reported from Malda and Mushirdabad.
The deaths were a result of clashes between the Congress and the state's ruling Trinamool Congress party.
Several others were injured in clashes in other parts of the state as polling was held in five constituencies.
Polling was held in 117 seats across 13 states and two Union Territories.
According to the election Commission reports, Assam recorded 78.29%, Bihar - 59.97%, Goa - 71.09%, Gujarat - 60.21%, Jammu & Kashmir - 12.86% ,Karnataka - 64.14%, Kerala - 70.21% and Maharashtra - 56.57%.
The third phase was especially important as several star candidates were in fray like BJP chief Amit Shah, who is contesting from Gujarat's Gandhinagar and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi from Kerala's Wayanad.
The Election Commission received complaints of faulty electronic voting machines from parts of Kerala, Assam and Uttar Pradesh.
In the third phase, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote before which he sought the blessings of his mother.
Barring few stray incidents, the polling in five constituencies of Bihar was completed peacefully.
Ten seats of Uttar Pradesh, which went for polls on Tuesday, decided the fate of several key leaders, including Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh, his nephews Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav, senior party leader Azam Khan and the BJP's Jaya Prada.
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The BJP had won seven of these 10 seats in 2014, while the SP bagged three.
four more phases are left for the election process to complete.
The results for all the seven seats would be announced on May 23.
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