Bengal Election, Phase 5 Voting HIGHLIGHTS: Over 78% Turnout As Polling Concludes, Violence Reported In Some Areas
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 Phase 5 Polling HIGHLIGHTS: Bengal is voting for 45 of 294 seats today in the fifth - and biggest - of its eight poll phases, which are being held amid a surge in Covid cases.The polling began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 am amid tight security arrangements and Covid-19 guidelines put in place by the Election Commission.
Background
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 Phase 5 Polling HIGHLIGHTS: The polling began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 am amid tight security arrangements and Covid-19 guidelines put in place by the Election Commission. Security arrangements have been increased for this phase in view of the violence in Cooch Behar during voting in the fourth phase.
A total of 45 constituencies, including 16 seats in North 24 Parganas, eight each in Purba Bardhaman and Nadia, seven in Jalpaiguri, five in Darjeeling, and one in Kalimpong district, will vote in this phase.
This phase is crucial for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is aiming to better its tally of 32 seats won in the last assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have campaigned extensively for this phase in a bid to ensure the saffron party’s victory in the TMC-ruled state.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has curtailed the campaign timing for the remaining three phases of West Bengal assembly elections while taking a serious view against the repeated violations of Covid-19 norms by political leaders, campaigners, and candidates.
78.36% Voter Turnout Recorded In Bengal Till 5:45 PM
BJP, Trinamool Spar Over Mamata's Purported Audio Clip
A purported audio clip of Mamata Banerjee released by the IT cell of the BJP triggered a major war of words between TMC and the saffron party.
While the BJP claimed that Banerjee is trying to polarise the voters, the ruling Trinamool accused the saffron brigade of intruding into people's right to privacy by tapping the phone of the Chief Minister.
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