Barring some incidents of clashes in districts like North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas and Burdwan, polls held for 16 municipalities, the Asansol Municipal Corporation and the Siliguri Mahukma Parishad on Sunday, remained by and large peaceful.

Seventy-five per cent of the people had cast their votes till reports last came in, according to Mira Pande, State Election Commissioner.

“A few instances of violence have been reported to the commission. The administration, however, took prompt steps and the situation was brought under control,” Pande added.

Around 16 people have been arrested from various booths in the state on Sunday.

“We have arrested seven persons from the North 24-Parganas, six from the South 24-Parganas and six from North Dinajpur,” said Raj Kanojia, IG, Law and Order, West Bengal Police.

The election is crucial for both the CPM and the Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance as the results will show whether people are still eager for a change as they showed in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The results will be declared on July 1.

Both Saugata Roy, Union Minister of State for Urban Development and C M Jatua, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, plunged into the poll campaign for the candidates of the Congress-Trinamool alliance.

Booth number 1 in ward 5 in Maheshtala municipality in South 24-Parganas was reportedly ransacked by a group of miscreants.

In the Sarbodyaya Hindi Vidyalaya in ward 7 in the same municipality, the CPM and Trinamool supporters clashed and hurled bombs at each other.

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