Kolkata:
An estimated 84.8 per cent voting has been recorded in the fourth round of assembly polls in West Bengal which passed off peacefully, the Election Commission announced today.
However, the turnout is set to go up as people were till waiting to cast their franchise in some places, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters here.
"Polling has gone off very peacefully just like the previous three phases", he said.
In 2006 assembly polls, these 63 constituencies spread over Howrah, Hoogly, East Midnapur and parts of Burdwan districts had witnessed 83.19 per cent voting, he said.
The EC had put Chief Electoral Officers of Bihar and Orissa as special observers, over and above the general observers and expenditure observers to monitor the polls.
People boycotted polling in four polling stations on developmental issues and the Commission has removed two presiding officers following complaints from observers, Zutshi said.
In Kolkata, West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said that long queues of voters were reported in front of many booths beyond 5 pm.
Giving a break-up of the voting percentage, Gupta said that Howrah recorded 79.9 per cent, Hooghly 82.59 per cent, East Midnapore 89.32 per cent and parts of Burdwan 87.32 per cent.
Polling was, by and large, peaceful, except for some cases of poll boycott, replacement of defective EVMs and intimidation in few areas, he said.
Additional CEO N K Sahana earlier said that 10 preventive arrests were made - six in East Midnapore and two each in Hooghly and Burdwan districts.
Gupta said that 90 EVMs were replaced before commencement of polls and 43 after start of the polls for technical reasons.
Poll boycott was reported from some booths in Shyampur, Amta and Katwa constituencies in Howrah and Burdwan districts on "development-related issues".
The CEO said that a polling agent, against whom a non-bailable arrest warrant was pending, was arrested from a booth in Nandigram. Altogether 67 preventive arrests were made.
Altogether 71,728 polling personnel were engaged for the fourth phase of polling, he said, adding 42 general observers, nine expenditure observers and two police observers supervised the poll.
Besides, two special observers -- Sudhir Kumar Rakesh (Bihar CEO) and Srinivasan (Orissa CEO)-- went round the booths in Howrah and East Midnapore and Hooghly and Burdwan districts, respectively.
A total of 292 digital cameras, 1,219 video cameras and 200 webcasting were used for the polling.
However, the turnout is set to go up as people were till waiting to cast their franchise in some places, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters here.
"Polling has gone off very peacefully just like the previous three phases", he said.
In 2006 assembly polls, these 63 constituencies spread over Howrah, Hoogly, East Midnapur and parts of Burdwan districts had witnessed 83.19 per cent voting, he said.
The EC had put Chief Electoral Officers of Bihar and Orissa as special observers, over and above the general observers and expenditure observers to monitor the polls.
People boycotted polling in four polling stations on developmental issues and the Commission has removed two presiding officers following complaints from observers, Zutshi said.
In Kolkata, West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said that long queues of voters were reported in front of many booths beyond 5 pm.
Giving a break-up of the voting percentage, Gupta said that Howrah recorded 79.9 per cent, Hooghly 82.59 per cent, East Midnapore 89.32 per cent and parts of Burdwan 87.32 per cent.
Polling was, by and large, peaceful, except for some cases of poll boycott, replacement of defective EVMs and intimidation in few areas, he said.
Additional CEO N K Sahana earlier said that 10 preventive arrests were made - six in East Midnapore and two each in Hooghly and Burdwan districts.
Gupta said that 90 EVMs were replaced before commencement of polls and 43 after start of the polls for technical reasons.
Poll boycott was reported from some booths in Shyampur, Amta and Katwa constituencies in Howrah and Burdwan districts on "development-related issues".
The CEO said that a polling agent, against whom a non-bailable arrest warrant was pending, was arrested from a booth in Nandigram. Altogether 67 preventive arrests were made.
Altogether 71,728 polling personnel were engaged for the fourth phase of polling, he said, adding 42 general observers, nine expenditure observers and two police observers supervised the poll.
Besides, two special observers -- Sudhir Kumar Rakesh (Bihar CEO) and Srinivasan (Orissa CEO)-- went round the booths in Howrah and East Midnapore and Hooghly and Burdwan districts, respectively.
A total of 292 digital cameras, 1,219 video cameras and 200 webcasting were used for the polling.
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