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Municipal polls underway in West Bengal amid violence
Kolkata, Oct 3 (IBNS): High octane municipal polls in Kolkata's satellite town Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) and West Bengal's second largest city Asansol besides some wards of Bally are underway on Saturday amid reports of violence and booth capturing allegedly indulged in by the ruling TMC, which is bracing up for next year's Assembly polls when it faces a Left Front that is seen pulling up their socks in recent times.
Opposition parties alleged complete anarchy and inaction of police as polling for the 106-seat Asansol and 41-seat Bidhhannagar municipalities go to polls along with the added areas of Bally Municipality's 16 Wards (Ward 51 to 66) , which is being amalgamated with the Howrah Municipal Corporation, are currently underway here in West Bengal.
While reports of violence poured in from everywhere, TV footage showed people brandishing swords openly in Asansol.
In ward number 41 of Bidhannagar, police, however, was seen charging some outsiders with lathis. But local media reports said police played a largely inactive role.
The Asansol Municipal Corporation was formed by merging Raniganj, Jamuria and Kulti municipalities while the Bidhannagar corporation was constituted by merging Bidhannagar and Rajarhat-Gopalpur municipalities.
Meanwhile, civic polls in Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad is also underway.
More than 13 lakh voters will decide the fates of the candidates on Saturday.
Amid claims of huge security arrangements by authorities, the opposition alleged that outsiders under the shelter of TMC are rigging in many booths in presence of the state police force.
The results will be declared on Oct 7.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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