TMC, BJP Workers Clash in West Bengal; EVM Glitches in Bihar, Odisha

New Delhi: Clashes erupted at several polling booths in West Bengal, leaving rival party supporters injured and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader's car vandalised while electronic voting machine (EVM) glitches delayed polling in Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday which saw voters turn out in good numbers till the afternoon.

Polling is underway in 17 seats in Maharashtra, 13 each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, six each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand and a part of the Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

In Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, less than 1% of the over 3.45 lakh electorate came out to vote in the initial hours.

The voting in the second leg of three-phased schedule for the Lok Sabha seat would decide fate of 18 candidates, including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Violence marred polling in West Bengal, where an estimated 52.36% of voters exercised their franchise till 1 p.m in eight Lok Sabha constituencies.

According to senior election official, clashes broke out between supporters of rival parties in Nanoor, Rampurhat, Nalhati and Siuri areas of Birbhum seat, injuring several people on two sides.

In Dubrajpur area of the constituency, voters allegedly engaged in a scuffle with central forces when they were barred from entering booths with mobile phones.

Security personnel opened fire in the air to control the mob, following which polling was stalled in booths, the official said.

The state election office also received reports of violence from Jemua and Barabani areas of Bardhaman East constituency.

"In Barabani, BJP candidate and central minister minister Babul Supriyo's vehicle was vandalised allegedly by TMC workers outside a polling station, while in Jemua, voters fled from a polling station after being threatened by miscreants," he told PTI.

In neighbouring Bihar, an estimated 32.48% of the 87.74 electorate cast their ballots till 1 p.m five Lok Sabha seats.

Voting was initially hampered at three polling stations in Munger, two polling stations in Darbhanga and three polling stations in Begusarai due to technical glitches.

In Jharkhand, an estimated 20.87% of the 45.26 lakh electorate cast their votes till 11 am in three Lok Sabha constituencies of the state.

Technical glitches in EVMs delayed polling in 60 booths in Odisha, but it resumed after the snags were rectified, the official said.

Maharashtra witnessed an average 31.74% voter turnout till 1 pm in 17 seats.

Complaints of technical glitches in EVMs and VVPAT machines in some polling booths were addressed, an election official said.

In Madhya Pradesh, an average 31.03% voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm in six Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh.

Braving scorching heat, over 43% of 2.57 crore electorate cast their votes till 1 pm in 13 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan.

Maximum voter percentage of 53.45% was registered in Barmer, followed by Jodhpur where 46.41% voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm.

Polling picked up in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh as an estimated 34.40% voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm.

In Kannauj, a representative of Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, Guddu Saxena, complained to observers that the district administration was allegedly not allowing SP leaders and workers to move out of their houses.

Complaints of EVM malfunctioning were also reported in Etawah under Auriaya district, with voters saying they had to wait for hours at polling booths in Tilak Mahavidyalaya, Sahupur, Ajitmal and Dalelnagar to cast their votes.

With this phase, election will come to an end in Maharashtra and Odisha. Voting is also being held in some Assembly constituencies in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

Election to 542 Lok Sabha seats is being conducted in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. Election in Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu has been cancelled following excess use of money power. Results will be declared on May 23.

Palghar: Cash Seized Outside Shiv Sena Poll Campaign Office

Mumbai: As many as 67 Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) activists were booked for allegedly manhandling a Shiv Sena MLC when cash was seized from a car outside the poll campaign office of the party's candidate in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said.

Vasai-Virar mayor Rupesh Jadhav of the BVA, which is an ally of the Congress, was among those booked in connection with the manhandling incident, a police official said.

The incident took place just hours before polling began in the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency as part of the fourth and last phase of voting in 17 seats of the state.

Following a complaint by BVA activists that voters were being lured, the Election Commission's flying squad searched a car parked outside Sena's Palghar seat nominee Rajendra Gavit in Tulinj area in the early hours of Monday and seized Rs 64,500 from it, the official said.