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Civic poll held amid tight security

KOLKATA: In the backdrop of the agitation led by a section of tribals against alleged police excesses that has resulted in parts of the Jhargram sub-division being cut off from the rest of West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, elections to the Jhargram civic body passed off peacefully amid tight security on Sunday. Roadblocks have been put up in parts of the sub-division and roads remain dug up for more than three weeks in the Lalgarh area of the district.

They are demanding a public apology from the police for the excesses allegedly committed on people in the course of raids to track down those responsible for the IED blast that narrowly missed Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy on November 2 and the release of tribals arrested in the connection with the incident.

Additional forces were deployed in Jhargram to ensure a peaceful poll.

Barring stray incidents, polling in three other municipalities where elections were held - in Berhampore, Howrah and Krishnagar - was also peaceful, a senior State official said here.

In the ward no 38 in Howrah, the police detained 20 youth from the residence of Trinamool Congress candidate Mitali Das after the local CPI-M unit complained that they had gathered to cause trouble. They were taken to Shibpur police station and released later. There was some tension in the area as Das alleged that CPI-M activists threw brickbats at her residence which the local CPI-M leaders denied.

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Civic poll held amid tight security

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