Moderate turnout in Bengal bypolls

Kolkata: Polling in Asansol and Ballygunge constituencies of West Bengal saw moderate voter turnout on Tuesday amid stray incidents of violence in which a BJP polling agent was injured.

Till 5 pm, polling percentage recorded in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency was 64.03%, while in Ballygunge Assembly Constituency it was 41.01%.

Babul Supriyo and Shatrughan Sinha, two star candidates of Trinamool Congress, are contesting the by-polls from Ballygunge and Asansol seats, respectively. Asansol MLA Agnimitra Paul is contesting the Asansol Lok Sabha seat for the BJP while BJP's Keya Ghosh is contesting against Supriyo. CPI-M candidate Saira Shah Halim, niece of actor Nasirrudin Shah, is also contesting from Ballygunge.


In Jamuria, a BJP polling agent was allegedly beaten up by some miscreants. "The polling agent's injuries are serious and he has been shifted to a private hospital in Durgapur," BJP party sources claimed. BJP's Asansol candidate Agnimitra Paul went to the hospital to meet the polling agent, who was later shifted to Durgapur following intervention of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.