At least 20 persons were injured when both CPI-M and Congress activists pelted stones at each other in a polling station at Bishar village under Raiganj police station areas of North Dinajpur district last night.Five Congress activists and three CPI(M) members who received major injuries are undergoing treatment in Raiganj district hospital. Around 12 from both parties whose injuries were not serious are being treated in the village.
It was learnt that at night yesterday there had been a long queue of voters in this polling centre. Suddenly an altercation started between the activists of two parties and the altercation turned into a clash immediately. Both parties pelted stones at each other and used lethal weapons. A good number of voters who were waiting to cast their votes fled. The polling officers were compelled to suspend casting of votes for a certain period following the clash.
The president of North Dinajpur Congress committee Mr Mohit Sengupta said at night the CPI-M was trying to introduce their voters in the polling centres for casting votes. As the time was over Congress members protested their activities. Then they attacked our members in which our 12 activists were injured. Five of them are undergoing treatment in Raiganj district hospital.
On the other hand one of the members of the CPI-M district committee Mr Dilipnarayan Ghosh denied this charge and said that in this booth the Congress was introducing voters at night. When CPI-M activists protested they started pelting stones in which our eight members were injured.
The North Dinajpur superintendent of police, Mr SB Purnapatra, said a move had been initiated to arrest those who started the clash. The District Magistrate of North Dinajpur, Mr Sukumar Bhattacharjee, said: “In this booth reportedly a good number of voters could not cast their votes. So repolling will be hled tomorrow’’.
Source