Kolkata: The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded with an estimated 79.79 per cent voter turnout on Saturday.
In the first phase, 30 seats overlaying all meeting constituencies from the districts of Purulia and Jhargram and a section of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur went to polls to resolve on the electoral destiny of 191 candidates, together with 21 ladies.Polling that started at 7 am got here to an finish at 6.30 pm.
Among the 5 districts within the state, Purba Medinipur recorded the best voter turnout with 82.42 per cent until the top of voting time.
Meanwhile, Purulia recorded the bottom voter turnout with 77.13 per cent, in line with the Election Commission.
Jhargram recorded 80.55 per cent, Paschim Medinipur 80.16 per cent and Bankura 80.03 per cent voter turnouts, the ballot physique stated.
Addressing mediapersons, Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab stated, “Apart from a few sporadic incidents, the polling was peaceful. We received 627 complaints in total. There was an incident in Majhna High Madrasa regarding an error in VVPAT. It was replaced and the polling went on smooth.”
Regarding the assault on BJP chief Soumendu Adhikari`s automobile, he stated, “Three people have been arrested in Contai where a driver sustained minor injuries.”
In the first phase of polling, the overall quantity of electors is 73,92,709. Among them, 37,64,344 are males and 36,28, 310 females and 55 are of the third gender. There are 11,767 service electors and three abroad electors. When it involves the postal poll absentee voters, 26,736 have been of senior residents class and 4512 have been bodily incapacity class.
As many as 47,060 polling personnel have been deputed at 10,288 polling cubicles in 7061 polling station places in the course of the first phase of elections. For this phase, EC had appointed 36 observers, together with 20 common observers, 7 police observers and 9 expenditure observers.
Further, there have been 1979 micro observers in phase-I polling. According to EC, Rs 35.97 crore money, liquor value Rs 18.22 crores, Rs 77.91 crore value medicine and narcotics in addition to treasured metals value Rs 8.4 crore and freebies of Rs 66 crores have been seized until now. Stray incidents of violence have been reported from some areas that voted within the state.
Earlier on Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Suvendu Adhikari`s brother Soumendu Adhikari`s automobile was allegedly attacked and his driver was thrashed by miscreants at Sabajput space in Contai.Soumendu and his brother Dibyendu Adhikari alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) block president Ram Govind Das has orchestrated the assault and that he was concerned in ballot rigging in three cubicles because the polling for the first phase of the West Bengal meeting has been underway on Saturday. Meanwhile, Soumendu was unhurt within the incident.
Speaking to ANI, Soumendu stated, “Under the leadership of TMC block president Ram Govind Das and his wife, poll rigging was taking place at three polling booths. My arrival here created a problem for them to continue with their mischiefs, due to which they attacked my car and thrashed my driver.”
Following this incident, a BJP delegation headed by social gathering common secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya met the Election Commission in Kolkata. Some notable names who participated within the first phase of polling included Srikanto Mahato, Rajib Lochan Saren, June Malia and Uttam Barik from TMC, and Rabindranath Maity, Chandana Bauri and Rajib Kundu from BJP.
Congress fielded 5 candidates for the first phase together with Nepal Mahato from Baghmundi, Shiu Maiti from Bhagabanpur, Uttam Banerjee from Balarampur, Manas Kumar Karmahapatra from Egra and Partha Pratim Banerjee from Purulia.Now the remaining seven phases for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will probably be held on completely different dates with the ultimate spherical of voting scheduled on April 29. Counting of votes will happen on May 2.Â
