Asansol, Oct. 3: Masked men suspected to be Trinamul activists opened fire at voters, hurled bombs, captured booths and assaulted Opposition candidates during the elections to the Greater Asansol Municipal Corporation today while police remained silent spectators.

Three persons suffered bullet injuries.

The Telegraph went around the industrial township and its adjoining civic areas and lists a few of the incidents.

Firing

Five men, their faces covered with cloth, arrived at a polling station in Asansol's ward 14 in an SUV around 2pm and fired indiscriminately at voters. The voters ran for cover. Three persons, including two BJP supporters, standing in the queue suffered bullet injuries.

BJP supporters Rahul Hela, 20, and Raja Mallick, 24, and Suklal Karmakar, 25, were hit in their back and legs. They have been admitted to ECL Central Hospital.

Two policemen with batons did not budge.

The BJP's Asansol president, Nirmal Karmakar, alleged that Trinamul had hired goons to open fire at voters and party supporters. He said many booths were captured and votes looted. "We were helpless in the face of Trinamul attacks," he said.

Trinamul has denied the allegation.

A large contingent of policemen rushed to the spot and polling resumed after half an hour.

Bombing

Suspected Trinamul-backed goons in two SUVs hurled bombs at the CPM's booth camp at a polling station in Raniganj Mining College at 12.30pm. The group assaulted CPM supporters, threw chairs and tore Left flags. Some of them barged into the polling station and intimidated voters. The policemen at the polling centre did not take any action.

After some time, CPM supporters regrouped and retaliated with bombs. A big police force arrived and chased away the warring groups.

EVMs

Around 50 motorbike-borne masked men descended on a polling station at Mandal Free Primary School in Jamuria around 2.30pm and hurled bombs at voters, who scattered in terror.

The attackers torched a motorbike outside the polling station. The four policemen at the spot barely moved. After the voters and Opposition party workers had fled, many from the gang entered the polling station and cast false votes.

When this correspondent heard the sound of EVM buttons being pressed and tried to enter the booth, some of the men forced him to leave.

Opposition targeted

Suspected Trinamul activists beat up the CPM candidate of ward 13, Manik Ruidas, in Jamuria and former CPM councillor Kanti Chakraborty around 11am. The duo were attacked with rods and sticks.

Ruidas suffered a fracture in his right leg and Chakraborty had injuries on his forehead. Both were admitted to Asansol district hospital.

Former Trinamul youth leader Aloke Das, who was suspended from the party last year on the charge of extortion, was spotted at several booths today, "monitoring" the poll process.

According to Trinamul sources, Das had been asked by the leadership to oversee polling in eight wards in and around Jamuria. He was seen capturing booths and intimidating voters.

Das said he was a "party supporter" and had been "assigned" the job of "overseeing polling on behalf of Trinamul".

The CPM's Bansagopal Chowdhury alleged that Trinamul resorted to terror tactics. "In Asansol, Raniganj and Jamuria, Trinamul activists assaulted our candidates, leaders and cadres. Many are in hospital. We complained to the police several times but no action was taken."

Minister Malay Ghatak said there were "minor problems" in some places. "The allegations of terror are false. The BJP, CPM and the Congress created a drama. They attacked our men in many places. Voting was peaceful," he added.

Asansol SDO Amitabha Das said: "No big incidents of violence were reported. Some sporadic incidents took place and the police took action."

Siliguri 'peaceful'

Elections to the three-tier Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad were held peacefully today barring a few disruptions.

The police detained a Congress panchayat samiti candidate on the charge of damaging an EVM.