Watch: Violence breaks out in Asansol; Agnimitra Paul attacked at polling booth, alleges BJP

Kolkata, Apr 12: Violence broke out on Tuesday in Asansol where bypoll voting to Lok Sabha seat is underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ) alleged that its candidate for the Asansol Assembly bypoll, Agnimitra Paul, was attacked by TMC workers. The party also accused Trinamool Congress workers of pelting stones at the cars of its leaders.

Agnimitra Paul, who is BJP candidate for the seat alleges, "TMC people attacked us, hurled stones at our convoy. Police doing nothing... "

"TMC people thrashed our security with bamboo sticks... No matter how hard Mamata Banerjee tries, BJP is winning here." she further said.

Polling began at 7 am on Tuesday for the by-election to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat and Ballygunge assembly segment in West Bengal amid tight security arrangements, an election official said.

Altogether 680 of the total 2,012 booths in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district, and all the 300 booths in Ballygunge in south Kolkata have been identified as "sensitive", he said. Around 15 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in Asansol. There are around 2.5 lakh voters in Ballygunge.

A total of 133 companies of central forces have been deployed in the two constituencies - 70 in Ballygunge and the remaining in Asansol.

The by-elections were necessitated as Babul Supriyo resigned as the MP of Asansol after switching over to the TMC from the BJP, while state minister Subrata Mukherjee, who represented Ballygunge, died last year.