West Bengal Lok Sabha elections | Sporadic incidents mar first phase of polling in Cooch Behar

Television footage showed that in Mathabhanga area of the district, TMC and BJP workers clashed, resulting in injuries on both sides. Workers from both parties confronted each other following allegations of voter intimidation.

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in the three parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, as TMC and the BJP workers clashed with each other in various parts of violence-prone Cooch Behar seat.

Both the TMC and the BJP lodged 80 and 39 complaints, respectively, related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents in the first few hours of polling, sources from both parties said. Most of the complaints were from Cooch Behar and Alipurduars constituencies.

"We have received a few complaints, but we have no reports of violence so far," a senior officer of the CEO office said.

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According to officials, Cooch Behar recorded 33.68%, while Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri recorded 35.20 and 31.94% polling, respectively, by 11 a.m.

"By 11 a.m., the average polling was around 33.56%," an official said.

All three seats are reserved, with Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri for SCs and Alipurduars for STs.