A worker injured in clashes during polling in West Bengal
At least 15 people were injured in clashes between rival political activists in West Bengal, where 17 constituencies are voting today in the last round of the mammoth general election.
Security forces were called in to Haroa in the Basirhat constituency, 40 km from Kolkata, after four people were shot at on their way to a polling station. At least a dozen others allegedly suffered knife injuries in the fighting.
Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and its rival CPM blamed each other for the clashes.
Senior CPM leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted, "Armed attacks by (Trinamool) goons leaves 22 CPIM workers seriously injured, 4 with bullet wounds. Central forces mere onlookers!!" He said the Election Commission appeared to be "conducting a presidential election" instead of parliamentary polls, with all attention given to one constituency.
The Trinamool rubbished the allegations and claimed that 11 of its activists were attacked.
"In Haroa, CPI-M's former panchayat head Dinabandhu Mandal was behind this clash, in which 11 of our workers were injured," Trinamool spokesperson Derek O'Brien said.
In a separate incident in Canning, a polling agent of the CPM was allegedly attacked with a knife, while in the Barrackpore constituency a youth worker of the CPM was allegedly hit with hot utensils and burning wood. He is currently in hospital.
There is large police presence in Burrabazar, where bombs were allegedly hurled near a polling station.
Monday marks the fifth and final round of voting in the state. The ruling Trinamool Congress holds 14 of the seats voting today.
Accusing the media of exaggerated reports, Mr O'Brien tweeted, "People are voting peacefully, fearlessly, wholeheartedly in Bengal. 2 local TV channels with 'agendas' making a mountain out of a molehill (sic)."