Phase II of West Bengal Assembly elections today will see a strong contest in 56 Assembly segments, mostly in the northern part of the State. The polls may pose a tough challenge for the ruling Trinamool Congress.
While the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) remains the favourite in the three seats in Darjeeling hills — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, the party will face a tough challenge from the Trinamool Congress and from its dissidents like Harka Bahadur Chettri.
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PTI report says, 79.70 per cent polling in phase two of West Bengal assembly polls
Accusing the West Bengal Chief Election Officer (CEO) of acting in a “partisan” manner during the on—going Assembly polls in the state, BJP today sought his immediate removal and demanded that the polls in the nine Assembly constituencies of Birbhum district be countermanded.
A four-member BJP delegation comprising Union Minister Nirmala Seetharaman, Member of Parliament Bhupendra Yadav, party national secretary Shrikant Sharma and Om Pathak today met the Election Commissioners and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
“We request the Commission to take immediate and stern steps to ensure that the supremacy, neutrality and effectiveness of the Election Commission is not compromised.
The CEO who is unabashedly allowing the TMC to flagrantly violate the constitutional mandate, electoral laws and Commissions’ orders be shifted without any delay,” BJP said in its memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner.
Poll percentage till 3 pm: Alipurduar 73.65, Jalpaiguri 67.93, Darjeeling 66.73, Uttar Dinajpur 70.37, Dakshin Dinajpur 74.78, Malda 68.67, Birbhum 73.59. Overall 70.82.
3:51 p.m.: Do you think the people of the country are fools that they will tolerate your alliance in Bengal and fight in Kerala, says Mr. Modi during the Krishnanagar rally.
3:49 p.m.: I have three point agenda to change to Bengal, first is development. Second is development at a fast pace and third is overall development, says Mr. Modi. He also added that is essential to understand the Left and Congress party.
3:41 p.m.: Centre does not ignore eastern part of the country. Kolkata can emerge as an important destination in context of look east policy, says Mr. Modi.
3:40 p.m.: Earlier today, PM Modi met Swami Atmasthanand Maharaj who is the head of Ramakrishna Mission and is admitted in a hospital in Kolkata.
3:40 p.m.: Narendra Modi further talked about the Saradha Chit Fund saying that in Bengal there has not been a single village left whose people have not lost money to the Chit Fund. The important leaders have taken the money and trading the future of the youth of the state, Modi says while referring to Narada.
3:30 p.m: If the Chief Secretary has replied to the notice sent to Mamata Banerjee by EC it is misuse government machinery says Narendra Modi.
3.25 p.m.: Country run by rules and regulations if we don't abide by that it means that you don't have faith in democracy says Mr. Modi.
3.23 p.m.: Mr. Modi said, "EC is like an Umpire all should respect that. Elections will come and go EC is an institution"
3.21 p.m. : Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Krishnanagar in Nadia . He says, "West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accepted defeat so now fighting with Election Commission not political parties."
2.32 p.m. : BJP demands repoll on all 11 seats in Birbhum.
2.30 p.m.: Poll percentage at 1 pm: Alipurduar 45.56, Jalpaiguri 59.98, Darjeeling 53.03, Uttar Dinajpur 55.50, Dakshin Dinajpur 56.09, Malda 54.33, Birbhum 62.49.
12.00 pm: Poll % at 11 am: Alipurduar 36.28, Jalpaiguri 40.71, Darjeeling 36.06, Uttar Dinajpur 38.00, Dakshin Dinajpur 40.08, Malda 38.30, Birbhum 44.88. Overall 39.19 per cent.
11.30 am: A clash between BJP and TMC workers on Sunday left eight persons injured in Dumrut village in Birbhum district where polling is underway, police said. > Read more.
11.20 am: In what could be a violation of the model code of conduct, Mr. Mondal had earlier entered the polling wearing a TMC badge.
11.10 am: "I am not under surveillance.No one has the authority to keep me under surveillance," says Mr. Mondal.
11.00 am: TMC Birbhum District president Anubrata Mondal casts his vote at Birbhum. He is being kept at round the clock surveillance by Election Commission.
TMC Birbhum District president Anubrata Mondal after casting his vote at Birbhum. Photo: Special Arrangement 10.45 am: Poll percentage at 9 am: Alipurduar 20.66, Jalpaiguri 20.45, Darjeeling 19.00, Uttar Dinajpur 24.00, Dakshin Dinajpur 25.33, Malda 18.32, Birbhum 23.69. Overall 21.64 per cent.
10.40 am: BJP to move Election Commission alleging serious violation in electoral norms in Birbhum says Siddhartha Nath Singh.
10.32 am:
Locket Chatterjee, BJP's candidate from Mayureshwar, in an altercation with TMC supporters. Photo: Special Arrangement 9.15 am:
Voters queue up at Maynagudi in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. Photo: Special Arrangement 8.50 am: "Voting has been peaceful," says TMC's Siliguri candidate Bhaichung Bhutia. "In football, it is the losing team which makes all complaints. The same is happening in polls in Bengal," he said.
8.25 am: Senior CPI-M leader and party candidate Ashoke Bhattacharya said: " In the Siliguri civic polls it has been proved that the TMC can be defeated and it has definitely given a boost to the CPI-M and Congress workers in the State during Assembly polls."
8.20 am: The highest number of such vulnerable booths are in Malda and Uttar Dinajpur districts. (PTI)
8.15 am: Out of over 13,600 polling stations where voting will be conducted during the day, EC has identified 2909 of them as vulnerable and extra precaution has been taken to ensure free and fair elections. (PTI)
8.05 am: Several BJP and CPI-M polling agents have been allegedly attacked by TMC cadres in the Ilambazar area of Birbhum.
8.00 am:
Voters queue up at Municipal girls High School in Darjeeling to cast their vote. Photo: Special Arrangement 7.55 am: TMC leader > Anubrata Mandal , who is the Birbhum district party president, has been kept > under 24x7 surveillance by the central police force on the ECs orders after a censure failed to discourage him from violating the model code of conduct. (PTI)
7.45 am: In Birbhum district, a total seven constituencies — Dubrajpur, Suri, Nalhati, Rampurhat, Sainthia, Hansan and Murarai have been classified as left-wing extremism affected and polling there will be held till 4 pm. (PTI)
7.35 am: At the Nanur Assembly seat, a CPI-M polling agent was allegedly stopped by TMC from entering the polling booth.
7.15 am: A BJP worker has been allegedly attacked by TMC cadres in Bolpur in Birbhum.
7 am: Second phase of polling in West Bengal Assembly Elections kicks off at 7 am.
6.50 am: As many as 1,21,74,947 voters across 13,645 polling stations would decide the fate of 383 candidates. There are 33 women candidates in the fray.
6.45 am: Nearly 45 seats in north Bengal, five in Alipurduar, seven in Jalpaiguri, nine in north Dinajpur, six each in Darjeeling and South Dinajpur and 12 in Malda are going to the polls. The only south Bengal district that is going to polls in this phase is Birbhum with 11 constituencies.
6.30 am: One in about six candidates in second phase of the West Bengal elections on April 17 declared criminal cases against themselves. Out of a total of 383 candidates, 68 (18 %) have cases filed against them, which is marginally less compared to the first phase. > Read more
Bombs recovered In the Baishnabnagar Assembly seat in Malda district four crude bombs were recovered in a bus which was to be used by polling personnel. However, no polling person was inside the bus when the bombs were recovered.
Election Commission (EC) officials said that following the incident the Commission has instructed that all vehicles which were to be used for poll purposes has to be sanitised and the message has been conveyed to all district officials.
>Also Read: Know Your Election
Post Saradha scam in which lakhs of investors had been duped and the Narada sting operation, which has purportedly shown some leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) accepting bribes, the issue of corruption has evolved as the main poll plank for the Congress-Left Front alliance, apart from “restoration of democracy”. In the first phase, out of the 133 candidates registered, three are crorepatis and 21 have criminal charges against them. > A look at the first phase of the polls in numbers
Six things to watch out for in this polls: Can Mamata Banerjee retain her hold in West Bengal? Will the Congress-Left alliance click? What are the other things to watch out for this time around? Watch here
Full coverage: >West Bengal Assembly Elections
