Assembly polls: First Phase of voting underway in Assam, West Bengal

Polling began at 7 am and will close at 6 pm.

Apart from West Bengal and Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will also vote to form a new assembly in the upcoming phases of the election.

In this phase, polling is being held in 30 seats in Bengal and 47 in Assam.

In West Bengal, the main fight to gain the turf is between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

More than 73 lakh voters are voting in Purulia and Jhargram, and parts of Bankura, West Medinipur and East Medinipur  in the first phase.

Polling is being held in the state after strong campaigning from both the sides.

Apart from the two rivals, the Congress-Left alliance is also expected to give the TMC and the BJP a challenge in the polls.

In Assam, on the other hand, the fight is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress-led 'grand alliance'.

In this phase, 81 lakh people will vote across Upper Assam and parts of Central Assam.

This is the first Assembly polls held in India this year at a time when the country is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

PM Narendra Modi, who is currently in Bangladesh, urged people of both the states to vote in record numbers.

"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," Modi tweeted.

"Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers," he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also tweeted: "I call upon the people of Bengal to exercise their democratic right by coming out and voting in large numbers."