Polling is underway in 31 constituencies across three districts, including Howrah, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas ahead of which last night EVM and VVPAT machines were found in the house of a TMC leader along with the election officer.

The Election Commission has said the EVM has been removed from the election process for the assembly elections. EC has also said that severe action will be taken against all those who are involved.

Chiran Bera, BJP candidate from Uluberia Uttar, accused the TMC of electoral interference and demanded stern action those trying to disrupt the democratic exercise.

When locals learned about the development, they gheraoed the Sector Officer. Security personnel present at the polling booth resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

The Sector Office said that he was unaware how the machine was moved out from the polling booth. He told "Assistant sector officer Ranjeet Majumdar was not present at the polling booth when the incident took place. Machine was probably taken out when security personnel were asleep."

The EVM incident in Bengal comes close on the heels of an EVM being found inside the car of Assam BJP candidate Krishnendu Paul soon after the conclusion of the second phase of assembly election in the state.

Four polling officers were suspended in the incident while repolling was ordered at Ratabari polling booth in Patharkandi assembly constituency.

A magisterial probe has been ordered to determine why a polling team in Assam carried an EVM in a vehicle owned by the wife of the BJP candidate.