Politics

The 7th phase of voting ends in West Bengal with 75% turnout

It was for 34 assembly constituencies. Under Phase 7 which consisted of 12,068 polling station.

The election in the state of West Bengal is going smoothly with a good voter turnout despite the fear of coronavirus. The election commission reported a 75.06% turnout in the 7th phase of the election.

This phase consists of some major seats including Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s home turf Bhabanipur. While she is a sitting MLA from this seat, this time she opted to contest from Nandigram. Although the polling passed off relatively peaceful, there were a few incidents of scuffle between rival party workers in some parts of the state. In Asansol TMC candidate Sayoni Ghosh claimed that BJP activists tried to jam booths in the constituency. The BJP however said the allegations were baseless and Ghosh was making excuses sensing his defeat.

In the 7th phase around 84 lakh voters decided the electoral fate of 284 candidates contestiong from 34 assembly constituencies. They are spread across 6 districts which are, Murshidabad(9 seats), Paschim Bardhaman(9 seats), Dakshin Dinajpur (6 seats) and Kolkata(4 seats).

Polling for two assembly seats in Samserganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district has been declared void following the deaths of two candidates there. The Election Commission has fixed May 16 for the polling in these two seats. Among the constituencies that went to polls on Monday was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s home turf Bhabanipur. She is the sitting MLA from this seat and also a local resident. However, this time she contested the polls from Nandigram. Veteran TMC leader and state power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay is the party’s candidate from this seat this time. Chattopadhyay is pitted against a seasoned actor but a greenhorn in electoral politics, Rudranil Ghosh, who left the ruling party a few months ago to join the BJP.

While no violence was reported during the polling, the Election Commission said 15 live bombs were found in the Ballygunge assembly seat with the help of bomb squad and a fog squad. On a tip off, 19 crude bombs were recovered in two bags near Hooghly Jute Mill Colony with the assistance of the Bomb Disposal Squad.

Two miscreants carrying seven improvised country made serviceable guns and a “single barrel long musket gun” were arrested in Malda district, the statement said.

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