The Congress described the day’s proceedings as a “total farce” — noting that the CPM had stagemanaged everything in its favour in the past one month to win the polls — while the Trinamool Congress said hundreds of its supporters had not been able to case their votes in Nandigram. It accused the CPM of using everything from booth capturing to intimidation and proxy voting.

However, speaking to a private TV channel in Malda, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said: “I had promised a peaceful poll and the panchayat elections remained peaceful. There was no trouble anywhere, even in Nandigram. Only some stray incidents have taken place.”

Polling was held today in five districts of south Bengal — East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Burdwan, Bankura and Purulia.

The worst incident of violence was reported from Bandowan in Purulia, where Maoists blew up a BSF jeep reportedly returning with election personnel and ballot papers, killing at least one jawan and injuring 11. The threat of Maoists, who had called for a poll boycott, also kept voters away from several pockets in the district.

While in Nandigram in East Midnapore, the turnout was high, the numbers belied the real story:

* Booth No. 70, Kendamari area, Nandigram
The Indian Express team reached at 8.30 am, and was received with threats. CPM cadres threatened to smash the camera if photographs were taken of the poll premises. There were 150 voters lined up, but the queue was not moving. Rahima Bibi, 44, who had come from Delhi with her three sons to cast her vote, had been waiting since 5 am. “When I came, there were 50 people standing before me. Three and a half hours later, I am standing exactly where I was,” she told Express.

* Booth No. 176, Sonachura Primary School, Nandigram district
There was no queue of voters at the polling booth, which was guarded by Nabakumar Samanta, a CPM supporter accused of murder and arson.

* Sonachura, Garchakraberia, Maheshpur, Gokulnagar, South Khali, Kendamari and Samsabad, Nandigram Block 1
Armed CPM men began patrolling the villages early in the morning, allegedly threatening non-CPM supporters against going to the booths. They were carrying choppers, swords, 9 mm pistols, countrymade pistols, pipe guns and crude bombs. As Express talked to a Trinamool supporter in South Khali village, CPM men arrived at his house, threatening his wife and children against stepping outdoors. They next went to the house of Md Sheikh Shahauddin, a gram panchayat candidate of the Trinamool. Shahauddin told Express: “This has been happening since the last week. They would not let me campaign. I have complained to the BDO and police but nothing has come of it. All my polling agents have been beaten up, after which they fled.”

* Baruni Snan Primary School, 7 Number Jalpai area
Around 12.10 pm, three bombs exploded near the polling booth. Within seconds, the voters disappeared. A gang of 50 to 60 armed men, suspected to belong to the CPM, went inside and confronted the lone constable, Biswanath Bhattacharya, brought from traffic duty in North 24 Parganas for the elections. The cadres also threatened the Trinamool polling agents, after which they fled. The constable and the other officers were asked to vacate the booth. “Around 154 votes were cast of a total of 884 when a gang of people entered the booth. I will not be able to say which party they belonged to. We were forced to vacate the room. When we returned, we saw all the votes had been cast in favour of the CPM,” said Presiding Officer Dilip Kumar Patra (Booth No. 83).

* Bandwan, Balarampur, Baghmundi, Asra and Barabazar
Here the Maoist threat ensured that barely a handful dared defy the threat not to vote. The turnout figures may be not more than 45 per cent. Said Mandi, a local villager: “We don’t dare to vote. In fact, we had no idea that the polls were around the corner till the killing of local CPM leader Ganapati Bhadra (on May 4). Today the security forces are here and so are the police and local leaders. They have been asking us to come out and vote, but we’re scared.”

The CRP led by SC Chandel reached the spot with executive magistrate TK PRamanik. By then the miscreants had fled. The Indian Express had also reached the spot but could not spot a single policeman. In fact, not a single police turned up at the spot after the incident.

CPI(M) MP of Haldia, Lakshman Seth said, “the CRP is crossing its limit. It is doing whatever it likes.... I am not bothered about inquiries. I will take care of these (inquiries)...I have seen many.” Seth had said when asked about his spat with DIG CRP Alok Raj. Seth had allegedly threatened the DIG over phone when the latter had left his camp for patrolling.