New Delhi/Kolkata: Even as rural West Bengal votes for the crucial three-tier panchayat polls today, at least nine people have already been killed in rural West Bengal.
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.
Since the day the polls were announced on June 8, widespread violence has been reported from across Bengal. Fifteen people including a teenager have died, according to news agency PTI.
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