The crucial states of Assam and West Bengal saw record high voter turnouts of around 85 per cent and 79.56 per cent respectively in Assembly polls on Monday, marked by sporadic clashes and filing of a
The crucial states of Assam and West Bengal saw record high voter turnouts of around 85 per cent and 79.56 per cent respectively in Assembly polls on Monday, marked by sporadic clashes and filing of an FIR against Assam CM Tarun Gogoi for alleged electoral violations.
Election Commission sources said in New Delhi that West Bengal saw an estimated 79.56 per cent voting, while in Assam around 85 per cent exercised their franchise. They said an FIR was filed against Mr Gogoi on the EC’s orders for violating provisions of Representation of the People Act by holding a press conference during the poll.
In Assam, where polling was held in 61 constituencies in the second and final phase, an 80-year-old voter died in a scuffle between CRPF personnel and locals over forming a queue at a polling station in Sorbhog in Barpeta district. Three others, including a CRPF assistant commandant and a constable, were also injured in the incident.
Prominent among those whose fate will be decided in the final phase are state Cabinet ministers Rakibul Hussain, Chandan Sarkar and Nazrul Islam of Congress, AGP leader and former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and BJP spokesman Sidhartha Bhattacharya. Also in the fray is former Congress minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who revolted against Mr Gogoi and joined the BJP last year. There are a total of 525 candidates in the fray.
The Congress, which under CM Tarun Gogoi is seeking a fourth straight term in power, fielded 57 candidates, the BJP 35, its allies AGP 19 and BPF 10, AIDUF 47, CPI(M) nine and CPI five. Out of the state’s 126 seats, 65 had gone to the polls on April 4 in the first phase.
In West Bengal, where TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is seeking a second term, polling was held in 31 seats in the second part of the first phase of the election. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from booths in Jamuria constituency in Burdwan. A CPI(M) agent was injured after he was allegedly beaten by TMC workers and prevented from entering a polling booth, though the TMC denied the allegation. Two bags containing bombs were found near a polling booth in Jamuria by the police.
The prominent candidates in the fray in Monday’s polling included state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, former West Bengal PCC president Manas Bhunia, state minister Malay Ghatak, actor Soham Chakrabarty, besides Surjya Kanta Mishra. Altogether 163 candidates, including 21 women, are in the fray from 31 seats in West Midnapore, Bankura and Burdwan districts.
The ruling TMC, the Left-Congress alliance and the BJP, which has only one MLA in the outgoing Assembly, had fielded their nominees for all the seats.
