Sangbad Voice 9, News Desk, Kolkata: The first phase of voting for the West Bengal Assembly Elections began on Thursday across 152 constituencies in the state. Polling is being held in North Bengal and several districts of South Bengal, making this phase crucial for both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The battle has become especially intense amid the controversy surrounding the voter list revision.
Around 3.6 crore voters are casting their votes
in 152 out of the state’s 294 constituencies spread across 16 districts.
Political observers believe that at least 80 seats are expected to witness
close contests. The second phase of polling will be held on April 29, while the
counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
According to the Election Commission of India,
voter turnout reached 62.18 percent by 1 PM, while by 11 AM, it stood at 41.11
percent. Polling began at 7 AM across all designated booths.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing
a rally in Nadia, launched a strong attack on the TMC. He said that people of
Bengal are so angry with the Mamata Banerjee-led government that the party may
fail to even open its account in many areas this time.
Meanwhile, violence was reported from Nowda in
Murshidabad district, where several people were injured after unidentified
miscreants allegedly hurled crude bombs early in the morning. The incident
created tension in the area during the ongoing polling process.
Later, AUJP chief Humayun Kabir visited the
blast site, which led to clashes between TMC workers and AUJP supporters. The
situation escalated further when tensions rose between party workers and the
police. Security personnel were deployed to control the unrest, and police had
to use mild lathicharge to disperse parts of the crowd. However, police denied
that the situation had gone out of control.
EVM glitches were also reported in a few
polling booths across the state, temporarily disrupting the voting process.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, after
casting his vote in Nandigram, said that if dead and fake voters had truly been
removed from the voter rolls, there would be no chance for Mamata Banerjee to
win the elections. He also expressed hope for peaceful polling.
“We are Hindus, we are Sanatanis. I offered
prayers and spoke to polling agents of my constituency. Polling should be held
peacefully,” Adhikari told reporters.
With
high voter participation, political accusations, incidents of violence, and
administrative challenges, the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly
Elections has already turned highly intense. Attention now shifts to the second
phase of polling and ultimately to the people’s final verdict.
