Election Commission removes Bankura DM after clashes in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Sunday removed Bankura District Magistrate Uma Shankar following reports of clashes in the poll-bound West Bengal where polling for the sixth phase was held today.

According to reports, the apex poll panel has appointed 2008 batch IAS officer Mukta Arya as the new District Magistrate and District Election Officer for Bankura.

The order from the Election Commission came following complaints against DM-cum-DEO Uma Shankar after a clash between the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and BJP workers on Sunday.

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As per the EC order, Arya has been asked to take up her new assignment immediately.

West Bengal: Election Commission removes Uma Shankar from the post of Bankura District Magistrate. Mukta Arya is replacing him as the new DM pic.twitter.com/oa55uK8kBm — ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2019

"The new officer should join before the commencement of scrutiny tomorrow," the EC order said. 

People came out in large numbers across 59 seats in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to cast their vote in the sixth and penultimate phase of Lok Sabha election 2019.

The Election Commission of India informed that an estimated 63% overall voter turnout was witnessed here.

A total of 968 candidates were contesting the election in the sixth phase and while polling was largely peaceful, West Bengal once again reported several incidents of violence.

BJP candidate from Ghatal, Bharati Ghosh, was reportedly attacked but it was later alleged that she had entered a polling station with her security guards.

The EC asked cops to file an FIR against her. There were also massive clashes between BJP and TMC cadre here and it was reported that TMC stopped injured BJP supporters from getting medical attention.

There was also a scuffle at polling booth number 254 in Bankura where BJP alleged TMC workers of rigging. TMC also alleged in a tweet that central forces were coercing people to vote for BJP in booth numbers 186 and 234 in Salboni (Jhargram).