Over 82 per cent voter turnout was registered in Bengal in the second phase of the Assembly election today - 4.3 per cent less than in 2016. Assam registered a voter turnout of 77.2 per cent in the second phase today as opposed to 82.7 per cent in 2016.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of booth capture in Nandigram where she is contesting against her protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari. "...They didn't allow the local people to cast their vote. From morning I am campaigning...Now I am appealing to you, please see...," a visibly upset Ms Banerjee was seen complaining to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the phone in a video shared by ANI.
The Trinamool leader has also accused the Election Commission of not taking action despite a formal complaint by her party. "Have lodged 63 poll related complaints since morning, no action by Election Commission," Ms Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Ms Banerjee's party has accused the BJP of booth capture in Nandigram. "Huge mob of BJP workers have entered booth no.s 6, 7, 49, 27, 162, 21, 26, 13, 262, 256, 163, 20. BJP workers attempting to take control of EVM & rigging the booth," Trinamool's Derek O'Brien has written to the Election Commission.
The northeastern state of Assam - where the first phase of polls were held on March 27 along with Bengal - will also see high profile candidates, including a numbers of ministers in the outgoing government, among the 345 candidates in the battle for the 39 seats that go to polls in the second phase.
For Ms Banerjee, and the BJP, the battle for Nandigram is a prestige fight because it was the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in the region that helped her capture power in the state for the first time.
Stray incidents of violence have been reported in Bengal where voting is being held in 30 seats, including the high profile Nandigram constituency, in the second phase of state polls. Stones were thrown at BJP candidate Pritish Ranjan Konar's car in Keshpur. Earlier, a polling agent of the BJP was beaten up allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers in Keshpur, news agency ANI reported.
Trinamool and BJP are contesting in all the 30 seats, while CPI(M) is contesting in 15 and its alliance partners of Sanjukta Morcha the Congress and ISF are competing in 13 and two seats respectively.
In Assam, the ruling BJP is contesting in 34 seats and its allies, the AGP in six and the UPPL in three. The Congress, meanwhile, is contesting in 27 while its partners, the AIUDF, in eight and BPF in four.
Here are the live updates on West Bengal, Assam Elections 2021 Phase 2 Polls:
Mamata Banerjee Alleges Poll Code Violation As PM Modi Campaigns In Bengal On Voting DayWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned Prime minister Narendra Modi's campaigns in West Bengal amid the second phase of polling on Thursday, saying it is a violation of the model code of conduct.
Bengal sees 82.8 per cent voter turnout in Phase 2 of the state Assembly polls - 4.3% lesser than in the Phase 2 elections in 2016.
Assam registers 77.2 per cent voter turnout in Phase 2 of the state Assembly polls - 5.5% lesser than in the Phase 2 elections in 2016.
Assam registers 73 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm in the second phase of the state Assembly polls.
Bengal registers over 80 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm in the second phase of the state Assembly polls.
First time voter being felicitated at Katigorah, Cachar Election district. #AssamElection2021 #AssemblyElection2021 @ECISVEEP @rajivkumarec @SpokespersonECI @diprassam pic.twitter.com/udgaa3HRo9
- CEO Assam (@ceo_assam) April 1, 2021
Glimpses of enthusiastic voting at Polling Station No. 127- Gosaba Assembly Constituency of South 24 Parganas District.#WestBengalElections2021 @ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI@rajivkumarec pic.twitter.com/JOWoFFeY8n
- CEO West Bengal (@CEOWestBengal) April 1, 2021
#WATCH | Didi, is there any truth in the rumour that you are going to file nomination from another constituency? First you went there (Nandigram), & people gave you an answer. If you go somewhere else, people of Bengal are ready: PM Narendra Modi in Uluberia. #WestBengalPolls pic.twitter.com/Wr4fcYw0pr
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Bengal Election 2021: Not Seasonal With Religious Beliefs: PM Hits Back At Mamata BanerjeePrime Minister Narendra Modi accused Mamata Banerjee of "insulting the culture of Bengal" and "disliking" his temple visits as he hit back at her party Trinamool Congress for accusing him of violating the poll code with his Bangladesh trip.
Assam recorded a voter turnout of 57.89 per cent till 3:10 pm across 39 constituencies in 13 districts during the second phase of the state assembly polls, according to the Election Commission (EC), reported news agency ANI.
The Nalbari constituency in the state witnessed the highest voting percentage with a voter turnout of 71 per cent till 3:10 pm, while the Kamalpur constituency witnessed the lowest voting percentage with a voter turnout of just 43.55 per cent.
The second phase of polling for assembly elections in the states of West Bengal and Assam began at 7 am on Thursday and is currently underway.
#ElectionsWithNDTV | Polling parties escorted by ITBP personnel to Sundarbans isolated island during the second phase of polling in West Bengal #WestBengalPolls pic.twitter.com/TfMUp1YjQ7
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
#WATCH| Slogans were raised after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrived at the polling booth in Nandigram. pic.twitter.com/uhhSzfOknF
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
#WATCH: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee speaks to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the phone at a polling booth in Nandigram. She says, "...They didn't allow the local people to cast their vote. From morning I am campaigning...Now I am appealing to you, please see..." pic.twitter.com/mjsNQx38BB
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Each stone hurled at innocent people & on BJP will be used to build exit path for anarchist regime of TMC. Didi, for too long you have mistaken Bengal's silence for weakness, your violence has only strengthened people's resolve for 'Ebar BJP': Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pic.twitter.com/SVhwG7dtBi
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
#WestBengalPolls | Bengal's biggest fight in Nandigram
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
NDTV's Sanket Upadhyay reports from ground zero#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/SobmbFDLPP
#WATCH West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram assembly constituency, as the second phase of polling for Assembly elections is underway pic.twitter.com/Rw7KGLZFCo
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
#AssamElections | NDTV's Ratnadip Choudhury brings in the latest from Barak Valley#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/IZu4BA9DMu
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
Assam: Congress leader Sushmita Dev casts her vote at a polling station in Silchar
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
"Mahajot (grand alliance) is an inclusive alliance. BJP is a communal alliance," she says pic.twitter.com/btcvuzPLwz
Assam: Congress leader Sushmita Dev casts her vote at a polling station in Silchar
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
"Mahajoot (grand alliance) is an inclusive alliance. BJP is a communal alliance," she says pic.twitter.com/dDNULpohGS
#AssamElections | NDTV's Ratnadip Choudhury brings in the latest from poll-bound Assam#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/YPoEYKGbf6
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
WB: A woman polling agent of BJP at booth no.173 in Keshpur beaten up allegedly by TMC workers today. Local BJP leader Tanmay Ghosh's car vandalised
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Free&fair polls not being conducted here as TMC causing violence.Central forces inactive:BJP candidate from Keshpur assembly seat pic.twitter.com/isI84YUEFH
WB: Ruckus near a polling booth in Debra, security forces present. Voters say, "Parties called goons from outside. We're locals, why will we create unrest? Candidate brought people here, she wants to create issue."
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
BJP's Bharti Ghosh & TMC's Humayun Kabir contesting from here. pic.twitter.com/1losvWUkXr
#WestBengalPolls | "I am voting for development": Ranjit Maity, a voter from Nandigram
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
NDTV's Monideepa Banerjie reports from ground zero#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/Spv1KeTX0b
#AssamAssemblyPolls: Polling underway at booth number 337 at Surya Kumar High School in Silchar pic.twitter.com/lchDTQuY0R
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
West Bengal | The people here want development. We need a super speciality hospital and a women's college here. A large number of people have come out to cast their vote today: Hiron Chatterjee, actor and BJP candidate from Kharagpur Sadar assembly constituency, pic.twitter.com/qg2Vc2fOkB
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Voters being screened with a temperature gun, given hand sanitiser & hand gloves as they arrive at polling booths for the second phase of #AssamAssemblyPolls. Visuals from a polling booth in Nagaon. pic.twitter.com/E0AgJzDHme
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
#AssamElections | "We cast our votes based on the candidate": Voter from Barak Valley
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
NDTV's Ratnadip Choudhury reports from ground zero#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/2tXl2bDszK
#WestBengalPolls | Nandigram votes today in high stakes battle
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 1, 2021
NDTV's Monideepa Banerjie reports from ground zero#ElectionsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/l9t29BODkQ
In Nandigram, "Begum" Mamata vs Suvendu "The Traitor"Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged the people of West Bengal to go out in large numbers and vote for the second phase of the assembly election.
"Second phase of the Assam polls takes place today. Requesting all eligible voters of this phase to strengthen the festival of democracy by exercising their franchise," the Prime Minister tweeted.
"Urging the people of West Bengal in whose seats there is polling taking place today to vote in record numbers," he said in another tweet.
PM Modi also tweeted his vote appeal in Bengali.
Assam Assembly Election 2021 Phase 2: Four Ministers, Deputy Speaker In The FrayVoting for the second phase of #AssamAssemblyPolls underway
- ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Visuals from polling station 146-148 in Silchar pic.twitter.com/HyKuWrJTcS
Official candidate of BPF and so called congress led alliance from Tamulpur LAC, Sri Ram Das Basumatary met me a short while ago. He has express his desire to Join @BJP4India and retire from the election.
- Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 31, 2021
Minutes after second phase of voting began in Assam and West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people to vote in record numbers.
Urging the people of West Bengal in whose seats there is polling taking place today to vote in record numbers.
- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 1, 2021
Among the constituents of Sanyukta Morcha, CPI-M is contesting 15 seats, Congress 9, AIFB 2 and CPI 2, ANI reported.
