&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "West Bengal poll violence: Crude bomb hurled in Murshidabad’s Nowda, several injured | WATCH")
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: Tension flared in Nowda, in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, during polling on Thursday (Apr 23) after a crude bomb was allegedly thrown near a voting area, leaving several people injured. The incident occurred in the middle of voting hours, triggering panic among voters and residents in the locality. Eyewitness accounts suggested a sudden blast disrupted the otherwise steady polling process, with people scrambling to move to safety.
What happened in Nowda?
Initial reports indicate that multiple individuals sustained injuries in the explosion. They have been taken to nearby medical facilities, though officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of casualties or the severity of injuries.
Security forces reached the spot shortly after the incident and have since launched search operations in the area. Police are attempting to identify those responsible and determine whether the attack was linked to the ongoing election process.
Talking to the press later, Murshidabad ASP Majid Khan said, “The situation is peaceful. Nothing has happened anywhere...”
152 constituencies, 3.22 crore voters
West Bengal went to the polls today (Thursday Apr 23) with 152 constituencies across the state voting in Phase 1. Over 3.22 crore voters will cast their ballots in Phase 1, the opening act of a two-phase contest that will ultimately determine whether Mamata Banerjee secures an unprecedented fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister, or whether the BJP finally comes to power in a state it has been chasing for years.
Polling, which began at 7:00 am across the state for Phase 1 of the Assembly elections, has largely continued under heightened security, even as isolated incidents like this raise concerns. Authorities have not issued a detailed statement so far. The incident comes amid an already tense electoral atmosphere in parts of West Bengal, where polling has historically seen sporadic violence.
