WB Election 2021 Voting LIVE: Activists Of TMC, BJP Clash In Bengal's Nandigram; 3 Injured
Assam, West Bengal Election 2021, First Phase Voting Percentage LIVE Updates: Polling began at 7 am on Saturday for the 30 seats in the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal amid tight security, officials said. More than 73 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 191 candidates in these seats
A clash broke out on Saturday between activists of the BJP and the TMC in Purba Medinipur's Nandigram constituency -- which is set to go to polls on April 1 -- leaving at least three persons seriously injured, a senior police officer said.
Seikh Sufiyan, the election agent of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, however, claimed that goons hired by the BJP carried out an attack on the workers of the state's ruling party, a charge denied by the saffron camp.
West Bengal Phase 1 Polling: District-wise voter turnout:
Bankura: 68.20%
Jhargram: 72.10%
Paschim Medinipur: 69.02%
Purbo Medinipur: 72.32%
Purulia: 69.31%
Assam Phase 1 Polling: District-wise voting turnout:
Biswanath: 69.70%
Bokakhat: 64.20%
Charaideo: 69.15%
Dhakuakhana: 65.02%
Dhansiri: 57.40%
70.17 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 4:30 pm in first phase of polling in West Bengal, the Election Commission informed. Meanwhile, 62.36 per cent out of 81.09 lakh voters exercised their franchise in phase phase polling of Assam on Saturday.
62.09 per cent of 81.09 lakh electors exercise their franchise till 3 pm in first phase of polling in three-phased Assam Assembly elections. Counting of votes will be done on May 2.
Elections are underway here and he (PM) goes to Bangladesh and lectures on Bengal. It is a total violation of code of conduct of the election: West Bengal CM & TMC leader Mamata Banerjee in Kharagpur.
Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "1st election in 6 years with fewer instances of rigging & violence. To avoid even 10% of such cases in 2nd phase, we demanded EC round-up anti-social elements."
According to the latest updates both West Bengal and Assam recorded good voter turnout in the first phase of polling. Bengal has witnessed 55% voter turnout till 1 pm and Assam recorded 45%. People are still queueing up outside polling booths in large numbers as the voting will be open till 6 pm today.
TMP MPs met the election commission and complained about rigging of polls and violence amid the first phase of polling. Meanwhile, BJP leader Soumendu Adhikari has also accused TMC of violence as his car was attacked by goons few hours ago
TMC knows that it is losing & that's why it is saying all this. For such complaints, TMC should go to the Election Commission. TMC & Mamata Banerjee are under pressure and that is why they are saying such things: BJP West Bengal Pres Dilip Ghosh on TMC alleging rigging of polls
After 5 hours of voting, Assam has reported 11.50% of voter turnout in Assam till 11am whereas West Bengal has reported 14.28% voter turnout till 9 am. Assam CM sarbananda Sonowal hd cast his vote in the morning and said that this year BJP will win in Assam with a huge margin.
A delegation of TMC MPs to meet West Bengal CEO today at 12 noon to "raise some serious concerns", as voting for the first phase of State Assembly elections is underway
8.84% and 7.72% voter turnout recorded till 9 am, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. Voting is underway in both states as people are seen in large numbers queueing up outside polling booths.
Former Trinamool Congress stalwart and Nandigram BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari writes to Election Commission, seeking suspension of Haldia Addl SP Partha Ghosh, Haldia SDPO Barunbaidya and some other officers of Nandigram Police Station for "helping TMC members in carrying out malpractices, irregularities during polls"
CPM candidate Sushanta Ghosh also alleged that he attacked in Jhargram’s Salboni area while visiting booth. His car was reportedly vandalised. Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari's brother Soumendu Adhikari said that Voters are being influenced & stopped from voting at booth number 149. Overall polling being held peacefully. EVMs malfunctioning at some locations, it happens in all polls, EC is looking into it
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged people in West Bengal and Assam to go out in large numbers and vote in the first phase of the elections to the state assemblies.
"The first phase of elections begin in Assam. Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote," PM Modi tweeted minutes after polling began in 47 seats in Assam, particularly calling upon young voters.
In Assam, the BJP is contesting 39 of the 47 seats in this phase and ally AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) 10. The two parties will go head-to-head in a "friendly contest" in two seats. The Congress - at the end of a 'mahajot' (grand alliance) - will contest 43 seats, with one each for the AIDUF of Badruddin Ajmal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the AGM and the CPIML. A third option for voters is the fledgling Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which was formed last year by the All Assam Students' Union and the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad
The elections are being held following COVID-19 guidelines in all nine seats in Purulia, four in Bankura, four in Jhargram and six in Paschim Medinipur, besides the seven seats in high-stakes Purba Medinipur -- the home turf of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The elections, which will continue till 6 pm, are being held amid tight security with the Election Commission deploying around 730 companies of central forces, guarding 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.
Background
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged people to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise as voting began in Assam and West Bengal. Voters were seen queued up in several areas amid fear of violence in some sensitive zones.
According to the Election Commission, there are 191 candidates in the fray for the 30 assembly constituencies going to polls in Phase-I in West Bengal. There are a total of 294 seats in the West Bengal assembly which will go to polls in eight phases starting tomorrow. These 30 constituencies are spread across tribal-dominated regions including Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur. Once considered the citadel of the Left, these constituencies supported TMC wholeheartedly post 2011. In the 2016 assembly polls, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had won 27 of the 30 seats while Congress had won just two.
In phase-1, the BJP is contesting on 29 seats and its ally AJSU, one – Baghmundi seat in Purulia district. TMC is contesting on 29 seats and is supporting an independent candidate from Joypur as the nomination of the TMC candidate was rejected by the returning officer.
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