Kolkata:
Enthusiastic voters have started queuing up as West Bengal witnesses the first phase of Assembly elections today.
Fifty four constituencies in six districts of north Bengal including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda vote today. Three hundred sixty four candidates, including 102 Independents, are in the fray.
Today's polls will decide the fate of 11 ministers in the Left Front government including Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya, Environment minister Sailen Sarkar and Fisheries Minister Kiran-moy Nanda.
The first phase is critical for the Congress as it will cover 27 of the 65 seats the party is contesting. The Trinamool Congress will be looking to making inroads in north Bengal.
In Darjeeling, polling started at 7 am. It was a steady stream of voters. As the early morning chill gave way to warm weather, a disciplined crowd had gathered at the polling stations.
The issue of Gorkhaland dominates these elections in the Northern Hills.
In Malda, voters have turned up in large numbers at the polling stations since early morning.
"It is the nature of the citizens of the state. Everything has started peacefully over here," said one of the voters.
The entire polling process would be monitored with the help of digital camera, video camera and webcasting.
PTI adds:
Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kumar Gupta said the 54 constituencies in six north Bengal districts going to polls, have an electorate of over 97.42 lakh.
Escorted by security forces, nearly 50,000 polling personnel have been deployed at 12,131 polling centres, Gupta said.
Gupta also said that Central and other security forces staged flag marches for area domination. Inter-state and international borders have been sealed.
He said 16 polling booths are located in the remote hilly terrains of Darjeeling Kalimpong districts where polling personnel had been dispatched on Saturday.
Fifty four constituencies in six districts of north Bengal including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda vote today. Three hundred sixty four candidates, including 102 Independents, are in the fray.
Today's polls will decide the fate of 11 ministers in the Left Front government including Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya, Environment minister Sailen Sarkar and Fisheries Minister Kiran-moy Nanda.
The first phase is critical for the Congress as it will cover 27 of the 65 seats the party is contesting. The Trinamool Congress will be looking to making inroads in north Bengal.
In Darjeeling, polling started at 7 am. It was a steady stream of voters. As the early morning chill gave way to warm weather, a disciplined crowd had gathered at the polling stations.
The issue of Gorkhaland dominates these elections in the Northern Hills.
In Malda, voters have turned up in large numbers at the polling stations since early morning.
"It is the nature of the citizens of the state. Everything has started peacefully over here," said one of the voters.
The entire polling process would be monitored with the help of digital camera, video camera and webcasting.
PTI adds:
Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kumar Gupta said the 54 constituencies in six north Bengal districts going to polls, have an electorate of over 97.42 lakh.
Escorted by security forces, nearly 50,000 polling personnel have been deployed at 12,131 polling centres, Gupta said.
Gupta also said that Central and other security forces staged flag marches for area domination. Inter-state and international borders have been sealed.
He said 16 polling booths are located in the remote hilly terrains of Darjeeling Kalimpong districts where polling personnel had been dispatched on Saturday.
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