[Watch] West Bengal Panchayat Election: Nine Killed In Violence

Among those killed were five Trinamool members, one worker each of the BJP, Left, and Congress, and the supporter of an Independent candidate. Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in at least two polling booths, news agency PTI reported.

Voting began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people picking between 2.06 lakh candidates for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samitis, and 63,229 gram panchayats seats. Till 11 am, 22.6 per cent voter turnout was recorded. Governor CV Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence, and interacted with voters.