Cooch Behar:

A paramilitary soldier died after slipping in the washroom of a polling station in West Bengal, sources said this morning. The incident took place at a polling station in Matabanga, Cooch Behar, one of the seats where polling will take place today.

Just before polling began, a Central Reserve Police Force personnel was found dead. He was taken to hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Citing preliminary information, hospital sources said he slipped and fell in the bathroom and suffered a head injury.

No foul play is suspected at this time, but the true cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy is conducted today.

Voting in Cooch Behar began this morning amid tight security. The BJP reappointed sitting MP Nisith Pramanik, while Trinamool fielded Jagadish Basunia to take over as Union minister.

Cooch Behar is a high-profile constituency in North Bengal that saw clashes during the 2021 state elections. The electoral commission halted voting after four people were shot dead during clashes with security forces outside a polling station in Sitalkochi.

Today, Bengal also held elections for the Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri seats, both of which were won by the BJP in 2019. The ruling Trinamool in West Bengal then won a total of 22 seats, while the BJP bagged 18 seats.