Election 2021 Live Updates: Amit Shah to address six public rallies in Bengal today

EC frowned on this but uses martyr icon in its Bengal ad

The Election Commission Saturday invoked the armed forces in its print advertisement urging West Bengal’s electors to come out and vote, even as it advises political leaders and candidates to desist from making any reference to Defence personnel in their poll campaign.

The ad that appeared on the day of the fourth phase of polling displays the silhouette of the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ and a sketch of cartoonist RK Laxman’s ‘Common Man’ as paying homage to the fallen soldier. The ad asks the reader: “They sacrifice for their country. Can’t you even vote for the country?”

It then goes on to state, “Vote is not only your right, but also your duty. Cast your vote fearlessly.”

The Amar Jawan Jyoti was constructed after the 1971 war to commemorate the martyred and unknown soldiers of the Indian armed forces who died during the war.

In run-up, Mamata slammed Central forces, urged voters to ‘gherao’ them

THE death of four people in firing by the CISF in “self-defence”, during polling in Cooch Behar in north Bengal on Saturday, comes after days of trading of charges between the Trinamool and BJP over the presence of Central forces for the elections.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly accused the Central forces of acting at the behest of the Centre (read the BJP) and of atrocities. She has even urged people to “gherao” the forces if they see any “wrongdoing”. The BJP, including Home Minister Amit Shah, has repeatedly stressed their “patriotism”. Senior Trinamool leader and minister Rabindranath Ghosh on Friday told voters to go to polling booths with lathis, to guard against the CRPF “creating disturbance”.

Bengal Elections: Amid violence, 76% turnout in 4th phase

Fourty-four Assembly seats in West Bengal recorded a 76.16 per cent voter turnout in the fourth phase of voting till 5pm on Saturday, a day marked by the death of five persons in two separate incidents in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district.

Cooch Behar recorded 79.93 per cent votes, followed by Hooghly’s 76.02 per cent, South 24 Parganas’s 75.49 per cent, Howrah’s 75.03 per cent and Alipurduar’s 73.65 percent.

“Apart from the two incidents in one district, the poll was conducted peacefully,” said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab.