Polling for the fourth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls began at 7:00 a.m on Monday. Across 49 seats in North 24 Parganas, Bidhannagar and Howrah districts, a total of 1.08 crore voters were expected to exercise their franchise in about 12,500 polling stations.
A number of Trinamool Ministers, including Amit Mitra, Purnendu Basu, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Bratya Basu, Jyotipriyo Mullick and Aroop Roy are in the fray.
As the polling progresses in the Bidhannagar Assembly seat Congress candidate Arunabha Ghosh seems relaxed and was seen happily chatting with media persons at his Salt Lake resistance.
With inputs from Shiv Sahay Singh , Suvojit Bagchi and Soumya Das :
3.50 pm: Poll percentage as of 3 p.m.:
North 24 Parganas - 67.27%
Howrah - 67.31%
Overall - 67.28% >Read more...
2.00 pm: In Dum Dum North constituency, CPI(M) candidate Tanmay Bhattacharya sustained injuries on his hand after stones were hurled at his car. Three persons were arrested, Barrackpore Police Commissioner Niraj Singh said.
1.50 pm: Polling percentage: North 24 Parganas 52.12%; Howrah 52.43%; Overall 52.22%
12:07 p.m.: Polling percentage: North 24 Parganas 42.37%; Howrah 41.25%; Overall 42.01%
12:05 p.m.: Roopa Ganguly's rival, Laxmiratan Shukla of Trinamool Congress lodges a complaint with the Election Commission, saying Ms. Ganguly entered booths and "threatened" presiding officers thus disrupting the polling process.
11:05 a.m.: CPI(M) candidate of Uttar Dum Dum constituency, Tanmay Bhattacharya, injured after TMC supporters allegedly targeted his car. Mr. Bhattacharya is hurt.
11:00 am.: At Domjur in Howarh , Independent Candidate Protima Dutta who is supported by Left Congress alleges polling agents in several booths not allowed.
10:48 a.m.: "The polls here are largely peaceful. Both the Central forces and the State police has done a good job till now," Bidhannagar Assembly seat Congress candidate Arunabha Ghosh tells The Hindu . Mr Ghosh is all praise for the his alliance partner CPI-M. "Their discipline and organisational capacity has been excellent not only during campaigning but also on the poll day."
10:20 am: Forward Bloc candidate from Jagaddal alleged that polling agents in the area are not allowed to sit in the booths.
10:10 a.m: Poll percentage as of 9 a.m.: North - 24%
Parganas - 22.63%
Howrah - 20.34%
Overall - 21.87%
10:00 a.m.: Congress candidate Arunabha Ghosh from Bidhannagar Assembly seat alleged that one of his polling agents was threatened by a local TMC councillor and driven out of the booth in the CB block area of Saltlake. However, the local police later escorted the agent to the booth.
9:30 a.m.: Roopa being threatened by local TMC supporters at a polling booth. " If there is no false voting why are you threatening my people," says Roopa.
9:18 a.m.: CPI(M) worker assaulted in Madhyamgram area in North 24 Parganas, hospitalised.
9:00 a.m.: Central Force and State police personnel throughly checking vehicles entering Saltlake.
8.36 a.m.: Huge queue outside most of the polling booths. Voters say they are "scared of heat wave".
8:28 a.m.: Roopa Ganguly of BJP alleges presiding officer 'partial'.
8:10 a.m.: While turncoats are in the fray in a number of seats as Trinamool Congress nominees, the fourth phase of the Assembly polls in West Bengal on Monday will see an erstwhile leader of the ruling party, Rafikul Islam, contesting as a Left Front candidate from the Basirhat Uttar (North) Assembly constituency. >More...
7:42 a.m: Some voters are alleging that they were stopped from reaching polling booths, mostly in North 24 Parganas district.
7:30 a.m.: To keep a strict vigil on the law and order situation, five police observers, all of IAS ranks, have been deployed in the two districts.
7:10 a.m.: 90,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure free and fair elections.
