Poll Heat Rises Clashes Erupt in Dhapa Bhowanipore and Baranagar Amid High Stakes Voting

As the city enters a critical phase of the elections, tensions have boiled over into physical confrontations across several key pockets of Kolkata, including Bhowanipore, Dhapa, and Baranagar. Reports of sporadic violence and heated face-offs between supporters of rival political parties emerged throughout the morning, with local workers accusing each other of voter intimidation and booth jamming. In Bhowanipore, a high-profile constituency, heavy police deployment was required to disperse crowds after a clash broke out near a polling station, leading to a temporary halt in the voting process.

In the Dhapa and Baranagar areas, the situation remained volatile as groups allegedly pelted stones and engaged in scuffles, resulting in minor injuries to several party workers. Central forces have been mobilized to these “sensitive” zones to restore order and ensure that voters can reach the booths safely. While the Election Commission has sought a detailed report on the incidents, the surge in field-level hostility underscores the intense political friction as the battle for Kolkata reaches its peak. Despite the unrest, poll officials have maintained that the overall voting percentage remains high, even as they scramble to contain the rising “poll heat.”