West Bengal Assembly Polls: First phase of voting underway in 30 seats

Seven more phase of polling in the state will be held till Apr 29.

In this phase, people will vote across 10,288 booths to decide the fates of 191 candidates in 30 constituencies.

The polling is being held in 30 constituencies across five districts include Purulia, Paschim Medinipur Part I, Bankura Part I, Purba Medinipur Part I and Jhargram parts of which form the tribal-dominated Jangalmahal region, once the hotbed of Maoist extremists that has witnessed prolonged bloodbath and power struggle among the key political forces.

Since 2011, Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have won two Assembly polls while the Bharatiya Janata Party has shown their strong presence felt in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by clinching 18 seats.

This time, the state is witnessing a strong fight to win the turf between the ruling the TMC and the BJP.

High-pitched campaigning are being done by both the parties which are aiming to win majority of the 294 seats in the state assembly.

The constituencies where polling is being held are 1.Patashpur 2. Kanthi Uttar 3. Bhagabanpur 4. Khejuri (SC) 5. Kanthi Dakshin 6. Ramnagar 7. Egra 8. Dantan 9. Nayagram (ST) 10. Gopiballavpur 11. Jhargram 12. Keshiary (ST) 13. Kharagpur 14. Garbeta 15. Salboni 16. Medinipur 17. Binpur (ST) 18. Bandwan (ST) 19. Balarampur 20. Baghmundi 21. Joypur 22. Purulia 23. Manbazar (ST) 24. Kashipur 25. Para (SC) 26. Raghunathpur (SC) 27. Saltora (SC) 28. Chhatna 29. Ranibandh (ST) 30. Raipur (ST).

In the first phase, about 73 lakh voters that includes 37.5 lakh male, and 36.2 lakh female electorates will decide fate of 191 candidates in which 21(11%) are female candidates.

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 Ujjwal Kumar was rejected by the returning officer due to a discrepancy while the Left-Congress-Indian Secular Front (ISF) alliance has put up candidates in all 30 seats.

The Election Commission (EC) has extended polling time by 30 minutes for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections.

The Election Commission deployed 684 companies of CAPF in 10,288 booths spread in about 7,034 premises in five districts in the first phase of polling in West Bengal on March 27, a senior official told UNI.

The official said altogether 144 companies of central forces deployed in Jhargram for the election.

Even those with COVID-19 symptoms like fever can come and vote between 1700 hrs and 1830 hrs, an official said.

Mamata Banerjee tweeted and urged people to vote in large numbers.

"I call upon the people of Bengal to exercise their democratic right by coming out and voting in large numbers," she said.

PM Narendra Modi tweets in Bangla and urged voters to cast their votes in 'record number's."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.