West Bengal Election 2021: The voters will choose among 283 candidates, 35 of whom are women. (File)
The eighth and final phase of voting is being held in Bengal today amid the growing menace of Covid that is spreading fast in the state. The election is being held on 35 seats lying across Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Kolkata.
Here are top 10 points to this big story:
37.80 per cent voter turnout have been recorded till 11 am, according to the Election Commission. Six seats in Malda, 11 each in Murshidabad and Birbhum and seven seats in Kolkata are voting in this phase. Polling is being held across 11,860 centres. The voters will choose among 283 candidates, 35 of whom are women.
Two ministers -- Shashi Panji and Sadhan Pande - are seeking re-election in this phase. All eyes are on Birbhum district, which has a history of poll-related violence.
Covid has had a big impact on this phase, with one candidate battling the disease and one dead.
Independent candidate at Malda's Baisabnagar has succumbed to Covid. Voting is being held as the rules say polling can be suspended only if a candidate of recognised political party dies.
Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, BJP candidate from Englishbazar who tested Covid-positive, is admitted to a hospital at Kolkata.
Nandita Sinha, the wife of Trinamool Congress candidate Kajal Sinha who died of Covid, has filed a murder case against the Election Commission.
Bengal logged 17,207 new cases over the last 24 hours, of which 3,821 cases surfaced in Kolkata. Seventy-seven people have died.
The BJP made big gains in the Lok Sabha seats lying across these areas in 2019. From one seat in 2016, the BJP had led in 11 Assembly segments, with a rise in vote share from 11.5 per cent to 31 per cent.
The ruling Trinamool Congress won 17 seats in 2016 and 19 segments in 2019. Its vote percentage also went up.
The counting of votes will be held on May 2.
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