New Delhi: West Bengal is voting today in the fifth phase of the assembly elections held amid an alarming surge of coronavirus cases across the country.
45 seats are going to polls in the biggest of the state's eight-phased elections. Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and a part of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman will vote today in which a total of 319 candidates, including 39 women are contesting.
Bengal has already voted for 135 seats and after today's voting, results for more than half of its 294 seats will be sealed. High-profile contestants include the Trinamool's Bratya Basu, Gautam Deb and Siddiqullah Chowdhury, and the BJP's Jagannath Sarkar - one of five MPs nominated by the party.
The BJP is contesting all 45 seats. The ruling Trinamool will contest 42 with three given to allies Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). The Congress will contest only 11, with alliance partner CPM contesting 25 and the rest given to smaller parties.
On Friday evening, the Election Commission ordered a 72-hour 'silence period', instead of the usual 48 hours, ahead of the remaining rounds of voting. The poll body cited the pandemic and added that election rallies and meetings - on days when campaigning is allowed - would be banned between 7 pm and 10 am.
In the build-up to polling both Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh received 24-hour campaign bans. Ms Banerjee was banned over comments relating to Muslim votes while Mr Ghosh was banned for comments on the Cooch Behar violence.
A total of 1,071 companies of central forces for ensuring a peaceful election. In addition to this, 15,790 state police officials will also be on duty.
Here are the LIVE Updates on "Bengal Election 2021 Phase 5 Voting Today:
Apr 17, 2021 17:51 (IST)
78.36% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM In Bengal
Bengal logs 78.36 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm in the fifth phase of Assembly polls today. The turnout is marginally less than the 79.5 per cent turnout recorded till 5 pm in 2016.
Apr 17, 2021 17:27 (IST)
BJP's "Dirty Tricks' Department" Behind Leaked Mamata Banerjee Audio: Trinamool's Yashwant Sinha
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation led by leaders Yashwant Sinha, Derek O'Brien and Purnendu Basu met the Election Commission (EC) today regarding the "illegal" recording of a conversation between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party candidate Partha Pratim Ray, reported news agency ANI.
Speaking to the media, Yashwant Sinha said: "We met the EC to register a complaint that a day before the elections, the BJP released a so-called tape of the West Bengal Chief Minister and it is clear that this is the result of BJP's dirty tricks' department. It is released just a day before voting to influence voters."
He further informed that the big question raised before the Commission was who was taping the conversations of the Chief Minister.
"I have been a minister and I want to say that there is a prescribed procedure even for recording the conversations of a criminal," he said.
Apr 17, 2021 16:43 (IST)
"Shocking Callousness": Congress As PM Addresses Rallies In Bengal Amid Covid
Congress today slammed the BJP and PM Modi for campaigning in Bengal amid a raging pandemic in the country, calling it a "shocking callousness" on part of PM to address rallies in Bengal instead of staying in Delhi and fighting the war against pandemic, reported news agency PTI.
Apr 17, 2021 15:38 (IST)
69.27% Voter Turnout Till 3 PM In Bengal
Bengal registers voter turnout of 69.27 per cent till 3 pm in the fifth phase of the Assembly election.In 2016, 70.4 per cent voter turnout was registered till 3 pm.
Apr 17, 2021 15:17 (IST)
Mamata Banerjee's Day Incomplete Without Abusing Me: PM Modi In Bengal
Mamata Banerjee's day is not complete without abusing me, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Bengal's Gangarampur, reported news agency PTI.
Apr 17, 2021 13:40 (IST)
Trinamool Congress delegation comprising Yashwant Sinha, Derek O'Brien and Purnendu Basu to meet Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal today, to submit a memorandum.
