BMC polls: Group clash during polling in city, 3 injured

BHUBANESWAR: Three persons were injured and six vehicles were damaged when supporters of two groups indulged in a clash outside a polling booth at Press Colony of ward no-41 under the Kharavela Nagar police station here on Wednesday. 

According to reports, tension prevailed after a heated exchange took place between members of two groups with one alleging that the other used abusive languages at him inside the polling campus. Suddenly, the duo along with their group members engaged in ugly scuffle which prompted the police to resort to lathi charge.

The members of both the groups indulged in stone pelting on each other during the face-off as a result three persons were injured.

Voting was halted at the centre for more than half an hour as police took control of the booth to avoid any untoward incident and resumed after the Police Commissioner arrived on the spot and discussed the matter with the group members.

According to Bhubaneswar DCP Nitinjit Singh, the incident happened for a small reason. Past rivalry was the cause behind the group clash, Singh said, adding, “The situation is under control and polling is going on smoothly at the booth.”

In another incident, verbal duel broke out between two people on the issue of impersonation while casting vote at ward-26 under the Nayapalli Police limits in the city. But the case has been solved by the police immediately and the voting was continued without any interruption.   

Notably, 726 police personnel including 45 mobile police teams have been deployed in the BMC area to keep eye on any untoward incident. The poll continued till 5pm.