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.
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.
West Bengal records 69.40 per cent voter turnout till 4:30 pm in fifth phase voting of state assembly elections, the Election Commission informed. 45 constituencies across six districts including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Aklimpong, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and East Burdwan are going for the polls.
Altogether 1,13,73,307 voters will exercise their franchise in 15,789 polling stations spread across six districts.
Mamoni Murmu, chief election agent of Siddiquallah Chowdhury former Min and TMC Candidate from Manteshwar in Burdwan writes to EC stating that central forces are trying to intimidate voters at booth number 268 by asking them alleged irrelevant questions in Manteshwar.
"Gangarampur has 2 holy names, that define our culture, in its own name... But it seems Didi hates the names of both lord Ram and river Ganga. She abuses Indians living in areas near river Ganga. She insults their beliefs, food, language and clothes,": PM Modi said addressing a gathering in Gangarampur.
"Her hatred for the name of Lord Ram has increased so much that she changes the name 'Ramdhenu' to 'Rongdhenu'... As a result of her appeasement politics this large region, including Dinajpur, lags behind in development,": ANI quoted him as saying.
A Trinamool Congress delegation comprising Yashwant Sinha, Derek O'Brien and Purnendu Basu will visit the Election Commission, West Bengal, to submit a memorandum at 2:30pm and will also ask how a chief minister’s phone was tapped.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee slams the Election Commission for not clubbing the last three phases of the state polls into one to avert the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease amid the second wave of the pandemic. She urges the poll body to reconsider its decision.
"This is my first rally after bangla new year. The Trinamool Congress is nervous after four rounds of polls. People come to asansol from across the nation to work, but now the workers are migrating from Asansol to find jobs. Sand and land mafias are running Bengal. Asansol has seen mafia raj under TMC's rule. We have to end this mafia raj. Your vote can end this mafia raj," says PM Modi.
As far as the authenticity of the tape is concerned, Derek O'Brien and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy confirmed it in a conversation with media. The only goal of the tape was to create further polarisation: Shishir Bajoria, BJP after meeting Election Commission in Kolkata
36.02% voter turnout recorded till 11:37 am.
Voting for the fifth phase of the State's Assembly elections is underway today.
Over one crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the political fate of 342 candidates. Security measures have been heightened for the fifth phase in view of the violence in the previous phase, which witnessed the death of five people in Cooch Behar district, including four in CISF firing.
The Election Commission has decided to deploy at least 853 companies of central forces to ensure free and fair voting, an official said. The polling will continue till 6:30 pm.
They (BJP) don't have people's support in Bengal. They don't have much influence on ground zero. How can they form the government? Politics is not possible through violence, vandalism, shooting. Politics should be simple: GJM (Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha) leaders Bimal Gurung
West Bengal: Election Commission has sought a report over the sudden death of a BJP polling agent at booth number 107 in Kamarhati today "His name is Abhijeet Samant. Nobody helped him, there is no facility for treatment here," says brother of the deceased BJP polling agent
16.15 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9 am in 45 seats where polling is underway for fifth phase. Reports of violence have been recorded from various contituencies. BJP will meet EC over Mamata Banerjee's purported SitalKuchi Audio Tape
BJP to meet Election Commission today in Kolkata, on CM and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee's purported audio clip over Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar violence. The BJP on Friday also released an audiotape purportedly featuring the voice of Banerjee telling TMC’s Sitalkuchi candidate to hold a procession with the bodies and frame the paramilitary officers. BJP President JP Nadda said this signified the “vulture culture of TMC to feast on death for political gains.”
The Trinamool Congress alleges that at least 35 outsiders and BJP goons are threatening TMC voters who were on their way to the polling booth in Nadia's Kalyani. An immense atmosphere of fear created in the area.
It looks like 'khela shesh' so far. We're keeping a watch. As far as the Hills & our problems are concerned, we want that this government be changed; we want BJP govt, we want justice: Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) president Mann Ghising, in Darjeeling
Urging all those voting in today’s fifth phase of the West Bengal elections to vote in large numbers. First-time voters, in particular, should exercise their franchise: PM Modi tweets amid phase 5 polling in Bengal.
On Friday, three Trinamool candidates - from Goalpokhar, Tapan and Jalpaiguri - tested positive for COVID-19. A BJP candidate - from the Matigara-Naxalbari seat - has also tested positive. The RSP's Jangipur candidate, Pradip Kumar Nandi, died Friday after testing positive earlier this week. The Congress' Rezaul Haque - standing from Murshidabad's Samsherganj also died from Covid-related complications.
The ruling TMC and the BJP are contesting on all the 45 assembly seats in phase five of the West Bengal assembly elections. From the Sanyukta Morcha, the CPI-M is contesting 19 seats -- Dhupguri, Rajganj, Dabgram-Fulbari, Mal, Siliguri, Ranaghat Dakshin, Chakdaha, Kalyani, Kamarhati, Dum Dum, Rajarhat New Town, Rajarhat Gopalpur, Minakhan, Khandaghosh, Bardhaman Dakshin, Raina, Kalna, Memari, and Bardhaman Uttar.
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.
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