Kolkata:
An estimated 78.05 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the fourth phase of West Bengal Assembly election covering 49 constituencies today, in sync with the high polling trend in the previous three rounds. 229 people were arrested in various poll-related incidents.
Overall, 78.05 per cent voter turnout was recorded for 49 seats in the two districts after polling began at 7 AM, officials said.
Till 5 PM, 79.16 per cent voters exercised their franchise in North 24-Parganas district while the figure in Howrah was 75.46 per cent.
Polling went on till 6 PM and the final figures will be known only tomorrow.
An FIR was lodged against BJP leader-actress Roopa Ganguly for allegedly pushing and obstructing a woman Trinamool Congress activist and her mother from casting their votes in Howrah district after a heated altercation.
TV cameras showed Ganguly pushing the hand of Soma Das outside a poll booth.
In her complaint, Das alleged that she was assaulted and told by Ganguly, who is fighting from Howrah North seat, not to cast vote.
Ganguly, who had shot to fame for the the role of ‘Draupadi’ in the popular serial ‘Mahabharat’, denied the allegations, claiming it was the Trinamool workers who pushed her.
Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Anuj Sharma said that during the day 229 arrests were made, out of which 207 were preventive ones.
A presiding officer in a booth of Baranagar was removed from duty after it was found that web camera was kept in the wrong direction.
Another presiding officer was replaced in Minakha for partisan behaviour while a polling officer in Baranagar was removed on being found that he is a voter of the same constituency.
A departmental inquiry has been initiated against all of them, Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said.
In Dum Dum North constituency, CPI(M) candidate Tanmay Bhattacharya suffered injuries on his hand after stones were hurled at his car.
Four persons were arrested and an FIR has been filed against seven persons, Sharma said.
In Beejpur seat in North 24-Parganas district, a family of CPI-M supporters alleged that their three-and-half-year-old girl was beaten up last night, following which two were arrested, he said.
A person called Titu Samajpati and his minor grand-daughter were beaten up and injured, Sharma said.
