Municipal polls in Bengal held amidst few clashes

Brisk polling was recorded in municipalities across West Bengal on Friday and marred by a few stray incidents of violence. The polls were held in Howrah, Murshidabad, Medinipur, Jhargram, Krishnanagar.

The CPI(M) complained to the state Election Commission about HowrahMayor, Mamata Jaiswal, suffering an injury in a bomb explosion for which she was hospitalised. The Howrah Municipal Corporation is a CPI(M)-controlled body.

The TMC Howrah district committee president and a state minister Arup Roy rejected the charge as baseless. Trinamool Congress leader and Irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee said, ‘If that is so, why is the CPI(M) not registering an FIR?’ He said that the allegation was to tarnish TMC’s image and get sympathy, since the CPI(M) was losing political ground after being rejected by voters in every election.

In Salt Lake Municipal Corporation, there was report of a clash between the TMC and CPI(M) supporters at FD block concerning a by-election at ward no 13. The police brought the situation under control.

The election is being viewed as another test of the popularity of the Trinamool Congress-led government after the TMC received an

overwhelming mandate in the panchayat elections in July this year.