West Bengal polls: 77-yr-old dies of 'heart attack' as kin fight home voting officials

MALDA: The 77-year-old wife of an 85-year-old voter died of suspected heart attack during a commotion as their family quarrelled with election officials visiting the elderly citizens' houses to register their vote in a village in Bengal's North Dinajpur on Monday.

After the news of Tafijan Bibi's death spread, angry locals, along with TMC workers, briefly confined the poll officials in Viti Katihar village.

As the octogenarian Kalu Sheikh is blind, his family demanded his disabled daughter be allowed to stay in the room during voting, but the EC team rejected the request, triggering an argument with villagers and TMC workers.

Tafijan suddenly fell ill and fatally collapsed. She was taken to Raiganj Medical College, where doctors declared her dead, suspecting a heart attack.

Their family alleged the officials forced Sheikh to vote.

While district election officer Vivek Kumar said there had been a misunderstanding, TMC's Krishna Kalyani alleged, "The inhuman EC has not only deprived one person of their vote but has also taken the life of another voter."