CPM accuses TMC workers of stopping supporters from voting in WB's Paschim Medinipur

Workers and supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest in the Ghatal area of Paschim Medinipur on Thursday, alleging that they were being stopped by Trinamool Congress (TMC) while they were on their way to vote.

The CPI (M) workers blocked the roads and burnt tyres, even as polling for the second phase of state assembly elections was underway.

Security forces later reached the spot and removed the road blockade.

Voting for the second phase of the West Bengal assembly elections began at 7 am on Thursday.

Voting in a total of 30 Assembly constituencies from the districts of South 24 Parganas, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, and Purba Medinipur is taking place in the second phase of the eight-phased assembly elections in West Bengal.

Out of the 171 candidates in the fray, 152 are men and the remaining are women. It means only 11 per cent of the candidates are women.

Nandigram is all set to witness the most high-profile contest as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee takes on her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in December last year.

800 companies of security forces have been deployed to ensure law and order during polling. The Election Commission (EC) has designated 10,620 polling stations for this phase with 8,333 primary stations and 2,287 auxiliary stations.

(ANI)

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