Congress alleges TMC workers threatened voters

Congress today lodged a complaint with the Election Commission alleging that Trinamool Congress workers threatened voters in the presence of micro-observers at some booths in the Howrah Lok Sabha constituency where a bye-election was held.

West Bengal Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said, "The complaints have been sent to the Chief Election Commissioner and Chief Electoral Officer here with all details."

He felt that the micro-observers should have taken action against attempts to capture booths in the Howrah North, Bally and Panchla Assembly segments.

"Some TMC workers even moved in motorbikes from one booth to another in front of security personnel and micro-observers and smashed tv cameras of photojournalists of a local channel" he alleged.

Howrah bypoll: Over 45 per cent votes cast till 2 pm
Over 45 per cent votes were cast in today's by-poll to Howrah Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal till 2 pm.

Joint Chief Election Officer Saibal Barman said the polling was peaceful so far with no incident reported from any assembly segment.

A few EVMs went out of order or malfunctioned at the beginning of the polls and were replaced promptly, he said.

The Election Commission is for the first time using GIS-SMS based poll monitoring system, android-based counting application and live monitoring of sensitive area (LMSA).

The GIS-based poll monitoring system is being used in rural areas to capture images and LMSA for Howrah city, with a video camera on a vehicle being used for the first time.

All polling stations are being monitored by digital cameras and video cameras and by micro observers. High resolution digital cameras have been installed in all the 1,851 booths, EC sources said.

Tight security is in place with central forces and state armed police deployed.

"All booths are covered by an armed guard," Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said adding that general observers Vijay Bahadur Singh and I Anwarudeen, besides an expenditure observer Ranjit Kumar are monitoring the bypoll.

Polling began at 7 am and would end at 6 pm, two hours more than the normal schedule.

The election has been necessitated by the death of Trinamool Congress MP Ambika Banerjee.

The main fight is between Trinamool Congress, Congress and CPI-M. TMC has fielded former India football captain Prasun Banerjee, while the Congress nominee is lawyer Sanatan and that of CPI(M) is Sridip Bhattacherjee, a former party district secretary.

Though BJP is not contesting the by-poll, local BJP leader Ranjan Pal is in the fray as an independent.