Violence erupts during bypolls in West Bengal; shootout in North 24 Parganas leaves one injured

Bengal bypolls: As polling underway in 6 Assembly seats, complaints pour in from BJP

Violence erupted in some areas as bypolls were held across six Assembly constituencies in West Bengal on Wednesday. The most serious incident occurred early in the day near Naihati in North 24 Parganas district, where a shootout took place in the Jagatdal area, injuring one person.

Eyewitnesses also reported that crude bombs were hurled during clashes between two groups, leading to minor injuries to several others.

The injured individual, reportedly associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Tensions flared further in Booth Number 200 in the Sadarpur area under Haroa, also in North 24 Parganas, after a verbal altercation broke out between the BJP candidate and a booth agent from TMC. This heated exchange escalated into a scuffle, prompting a swift response from the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), who were deployed along with local police to restore order.

Despite the disturbances, election officials reported that polling continued throughout the day. By 11 A.M., the average voter turnout across the six constituencies stood at 30.25%. According to the poll panel, 32 percent turnout was registered in the Taldangra Assembly constituency followed by 31.86 percent in Madarihat, Haroa (31.20 pc), Medinipur (30.25 pc), Sitai (29 pc), and Naihati (25.17 pc).

In a related development, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal filed a formal complaint alleging that a BJP worker had been detained by state police at his residence in Medinipur on polling day. The Election Commission has taken note of the complaint and sought a report from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal.

The by-elections, being held in six Assembly constituencies, have seen heavy political activity, with parties jostling for control ahead of the 2026 state elections. Voting is expected to continue through the day, but security concerns remain high in several hotspots where sporadic clashes have broken out.

For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.

The post Violence erupts during bypolls in West Bengal; shootout in North 24 Parganas leaves one injured appeared first on PGurus.