Assembly Elections Phase 3 Voting HIGHLIGHTS: West Bengal Records 77.68% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM Amid Sporadic Violence

Assembly Election Phase 3 Voting HIGHLIGHTS: A total of 475 seats spread across Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry are voting today. While Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry is voting in a single phase election to decide the fate of 234 constituencies, Bengal and Assam are witnessing the third phase of election

Background

Assembly Election Phase 3 Voting HIGHLIGHTS: The third phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 will take place today, following the polling for the first two phases of the polls held on March 27 and April 1 respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are facing each other, as the Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front has joined forces with Abbas Siddiqui's Indian Secular Front (ISF) to secure their place in the equation.

 

In Phase 3 of the West Bengal election, 31 seats across three districts — South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Hooghly — will go into polls. The TMC and the BJP are contesting all 31 assembly seats.

 

Most of the 31 assembly constituencies going for polls today are traditional TMC bastions, as is apparent from the past assembly polls' results.

The Election Commission on Monday described as sensitive all the 31 West Bengal assembly constituencies and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in them.

 

Voting is underway in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry in a single phase for all their assembly seats. In the state of Assam, voting is underway for the last of its three-phase polls. The results for all the four states and one Union territory will be announced on May 2.

In Tamil Nadu, all the 234 assembly seats are in the fray and the contest is between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance and the incumbent All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

 

In Kerala, 140 seats witness a fierce fight between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

 

In Puducherry, voters exercise their franchise for the 30 assembly seats shortly after the Union territory slipped into a political crisis before the elections were announced as the Congress-led government fell due to defections.

18:50 PM (IST)  •  06 Apr 2021

Kerala Elections: 71% Turnout Recorded Till 6 PM Amid Minor Violence

Kerala continued to witness a massive turnout of voters on Tuesday with 71.31 per cent electors casting their franchise till 6 PM as minor incidents of violence were reported from few places. 71.31 per cent polling was recorded till 6 PM.

While 71.26 per cent of male voters had cast their franchise, 71.35 per cent were womenand transgenders 36.33 per cent.

18:40 PM (IST)  •  06 Apr 2021

EC Removes 8 Returning Officers In Kolkata

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday removed as many as 8 Returning Officers (RO) in Kolkata. These officers were from Bhawanipur, Entally, Jorasanko, Kolkata Port, Chowranghee, Shyampukur, Kashipur-Belgachia and Beleghata districts. 

18:24 PM (IST)  •  06 Apr 2021

Assam Third Phase Polling Largely Peaceful

The third and last phase of the state election in Assam which is underway amidst tight security in 40 constituencies spread across 12 districts on Tuesday is largely peaceful despite sporadic incidents of violence and disturbances in some areas, officials said.

There were reports of a clash between two groups of people over some issues at a polling station at Dighaltari lower primary school at Golakganj. Police resorted to lathicharge and firing in the air to control the situation but none was injured. 

18:21 PM (IST)  •  06 Apr 2021

PM Modi's Coins 'Chalo Paltai' Slogan, Says Trinamool Will Fade Away

Referring to a new audio tape that the BJP had released a few days back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's defeat is on the cards, as he coined a new slogan -- 'Chalo Paltai' (let us make the change) -- and urged the people to vote for the saffron party in the ongoing Assembly elections for a new and better government.

18:12 PM (IST)  •  06 Apr 2021

West Bengal Polls: 77.68% Turnout Recorded Till 5 PM

77.68 per cent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in 31 seats of West Bengal where polling is underway for third phase. Incidents of violence and clashes were reported in several districts of the state.