As voting for the by-election started in four constituencies of India's West Bengal state on Thursday morning, incidents of an alleged booth capturing and a bomb getting hurled were reported.
In the Bhabanipur constituency, BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal, who is standing against state chief Mamata Banerjee, alleged that a ruling party legislator deliberately shut down the voting machine at one of the polling booths.
"Madan Mitra (the ruling TMC legislator) purposely shut the voting machine here, as he wants to capture the booth," Tibrewal told reporters.
Tibrewal is taking on Banerjee, the TMC leader who needs to win this by-election to become an elected legislator and remain state chief of West Bengal according to the law.
"We are hoping for fair elections," Tibrewal said, adding, "the state government is in fear right now."
In another incident, according to Indian news outlet the Hindustan Times, Anarul Haque, a member of the state's ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC), was arrested for hurling a pipe bomb in the Samserganj poll constituency.
The BJP is the main opposition party in West Bengal.
Earlier this week on Tuesday, the Election Commission of India imposed Section 144 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code in Bhabanipur, under which gatherings of four or more people were prohibited.
The Indian media report also confirmed that 35 companies of central forces have been sent to Bhabanipur because of the elections.
By-elections in Bhabanipur and three other West Bengal constituencies, have been rendered necessary for a number reasons. A total of 697,164 citizens are eligible to cast their vote and the votes will be counted on 3 October.