Kolkata, July 11: Around 70 voters cast their ballots till evening in the first phase of the five-phase Panchayat polls in West Bengal that began on Thursday.
In the first phase, three districts - Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore that comprise Maoist stronghold Jungalmahal - went to the polls.
Till 5 pm in the evening, Purulia registered 70 percent voting while Bankura registered 67 percent and West Midnapore reported 67 percent balloting.
"This is the percentage till 5 pm but balloting is continuing till late in the night," an election official told IBNS, adding that it could go on beyond midnight in these districts.
"The polling percentage will go up with more voters casting their ballots since 5 pm and standing it queue till late in the night. In Purulia the voting can continue till 2 to 2-30 am in the morning," the official said.
Sporadic violence was reported from different parts of the state where voting took place.
Voting was held under the shadow of a feud between the Mamata Banerjee government and the State Election Commission (SEC) headed by Mira Pandey.
According to local media, at least 11 people were injured in a clash between workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its former ally Congress in West Midnapore on Thursday.
In another incident in Purulia, a TMC candidate has allegedly cast a vote on behalf of a voter, whose hands were reportedly shaking, according to TV reports.
A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate was also arrested for trying to influence voters in a polling booth in Purulia district.
According to reports, a polling agent has been thrashed during the polls.
Senior CPI-M leader and Leader of the Opposition in WB Assembly Surya Kanta Mishra alleged he was manhandled by TMC activists in the district as soon as he came out of a booth after casting his vote in the morning.
About 75 lakh voters across three districts exercised their franchise to elect representatives to over 10,200 seats.
On July 9, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked SEC chief Mira Pandey and said she would have removed her from the post if her party had two-third majority in West Bengal Assembly.
"We did not appoint her. It was during the Left Front regime that her term was extended from three to six years," Banerjee said while addressing a rally West Midnapore district.
Without naming Pandey, the TMC supremo said: "If we had two-third majority in the Assembly then we would have definitely removed her.”
Banerjee and chief election commissioner Pandey were engaged in a battle over the Panchayat poll dates and finally the matter went to court.
The commission wanted three-phased polls while the state government wanted the poll in either one phase or two phases.
The Supreme Court on June 28 said that the Panchayat polls in West Bengal will be held in five phases beginning July 11.
The court said polling will be held on July 11, 15, 19, 22 and 25.