Two crude bombs were thrown in India’s West Bengal state on Thursday morning; today (29 April) the last phase of ongoing legislative assembly elections began in central Kolkata’s Jorasanko Assembly area.
In this eighth and last phase of assembly elections, 8.4 million people spread across 35 Assembly constituencies are expected to elect their representatives from a total of 283 candidates. Voting is being held at 11,860 polling stations.
Local media reports said the crude pipe bombs were hurled in front of Mahajati Sadan in the Jorasanko Assembly area. It prompted the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from that area Vivek Gupta to allege that it was done to scare away potential voters.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to voters to "enrich the festival of democracy".
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah who campaigned with full force in Bengal, on Thursday appealed to voters to cast their votes in large numbers and with full enthusiasm.