West Bengal election 2021: BJP workers protest in front of EC office in Kolkata over attack on state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh's convoy in Sitalkuchi

Bhatora in Howrah’s Amta is not only one of the few islands in the state outside Sunderbans but also an island of neglect. The 50,000 odd residents of 13 villages on this island, situated between two rivers — Roopnarayan and Mundeswari — and only accessible by boat and a bamboo bridge, swim against the electoral ride in the state. While other parts of the state registers polling in excess of 80 per cent of vote, the election commission personnel and the candidates struggle to push the poll percentage to even 55 per cent in this island.

Intimidations apparently started from Monday night, with both BJP and Trinamool candidates alleging threats to their polling agents and voters in Kuleshwar, Muruiberia and Basuldanga in Diamond Harbour and Kulerdari and Panakua in Bishnupur. The firing was reported from Hedia in Basanti. By morning, almost all parties lodged complaints of intimidation.

Local residents raised the alarm after they spotted the EVMs and VVPATs being carried into the house of Gautam Ghosh in Tulsiberia around 2.30 am. They gheraoed the place and launched an agitation. The local cops rushed to the spot and had to launch a lathi charge to disperse the mob.

The long-drawn election process in Bengal has added to the Covid-19 threat to the state that is witnessing a rapid rise, claim doctors. Health experts said that political rallies, meetings and other gatherings where there is no adherence to Covid-19 protocol have contributed to the massive spike in infection. While polling in other states ended on Tuesday, Bengal, where elections are being held in eight phases, will have to wait for another three weeks for the elections to get over.

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday replaced the returning officers (RO) of eight assembly seats in Kolkata that go to the polls on April 26 and 29. An EC official said the change was necessary as the officers — the ROs of Chowinghee, Entally, Beliaghata, Jorasanko, Shyampukur, Kashipur-Belgachia, Kolkata Port and Bhowanipore — had been in the post for four years or more. An official said that the decision was taken to maintain the sanctity of the polls so that no question of bias could be raised later. As per the norms, the ROs of all other assembly seats had been changed.

In Howrah, the flower growing belt of Bagnan-Uluberia-Kulgachhia in rural Howrah, which went to polls on Tuesday, has reported a good lotus harvest this season. The large water bodies in the area are covered with the green leaves of the lotus plant and the flower has even started blooming. The region in Howrah is predominantly Muslim and most people are associated with flower farming.

Sporadic clashes were reported from multiple constituencies in Howrah and South 24 Parganas, two of the three districts that went to polls, it was the badlands of Hooghly that lived up to its reputation of poll violence. Two from different parties were killed and several injured. At least five candidates from different parties were attacked, their vehicles damaged and polling agents thrashed.

Election Commission suspended three poll officials and a cop after three EVMs and four Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) were found in a TMC leader's house in Howrah, hours before it went to the polls.. Union minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar demanded a full inquiry.