Bengal polls: Clashes break out between AJUP, TMC workers in Murshidabad
Naoda (WB) (PTI): Clashes broke out between supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the ruling TMC in Naoda area in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Thursday, prompting police and central forces to resort to baton charge to disperse the mob, officials said.
The violence was reported from Shibnagar village in the Naoda assembly constituency during the first phase of the state assembly polls.
Several incidents of vehicle vandalism were reported. Workers of Humayun Kabir’s (AJUP) were accused of being involved in the disturbances, though he denied all the allegations.
Central forces resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control. The Election Commission has sought a report on the incident, the officials said.
Tension had been brewing since the morning when the AJUP chief visited a polling booth in the area after casting his vote.
Kabir was greeted with protests by TMC supporters, who raised "go back" slogans and surrounded his vehicle, branding him a "BJP agent".
The situation turned tense, with heated exchanges taking place between the two sides near the polling station.
The AJUP leader later staged a sit-in at the spot and accused the ruling party of intimidating voters and being involved in electoral malpractices.
Kabir also alleged that the TMC had bribed several of his party candidates to keep them out of the poll fray, a charge the ruling party did not immediately respond to.
The officials said the situation escalated later in the day when clashes broke out between supporters of the two parties.
"Both groups hurled stones and bricks at each other, leading to a law and order situation in the area," a senior official said.
Police and central forces intervened and carried out a baton charge to disperse the mobs and bring the situation under control, he added.
Security personnel were deployed in large numbers in and around the polling station to prevent further escalation, another official said.
The incident comes amid the first phase of polling in 152 assembly constituencies across the state, where voting has been largely peaceful with sporadic incidents of tension reported from some pockets.
The second round of polling is scheduled on April 29, and counting on May 4.
#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | TMC workers smashed the car of a worker of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP) as a clash broke out between the TMC and Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP) party workers in Murshidabad. pic.twitter.com/2XKV0Y4rZ3
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
