80 per cent turnout in Nandigram repoll

Kolkata, May 13 Repolling in the four booths of Nandigram for the three-tier panchayat elections witnessed 80 per cent turnout on Tuesday, while in the two booths of Bankura and Burdwan it stood at 61 per cent and 72 per cent till 2 pm. “The situation was by and large peaceful,” said SN Roychowdhury, secretary, state election commission.

Five districts — Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly — will go to polls during the second phase of the panchayat elections on Wednesday. Repolling will also take place in the seven booths of the three blocks in West Midnapore district on Wednesday. The state government has provided armed security cover for 84 per cent of the booths in the five districts. Security will be particularly stringent in sensitive and very sensitive polling booths, including those in Singur block, which had been in the news for the Tata small car factory. South 24-Parganas will have the maximum number of voters at 36,53,421 spread across 4,490 polling stations.

The EC has also received reports of violence in Kultali in South 24-Parganas where SUCI supporters were allegedly beaten up. “We have received such complaints. We have asked the district administration to look into it,” said Roychowdhury.