Amid reports of sporadic violence, vandalism and minor clashes, phase two of the assembly election in West Bengal and Assam concluded on Thursday evening.
At 5.30 PM, Assam had registered 72.65% votes and 79.53% polling was recorded in West Bengal.
While Assam largely witnessed a peaceful second phase, polling in West Bengal was marked by sporadic violence with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slamming the Election Commission over inaction to complaints filed by her party.
Sporadic violence and minor clashes were reported from various constituencies, including the high profile Nandigram, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee is locked in a high-stakes electoral battle with her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari now with the BJP. Amongst the complaints were allegations of "booth capturing" and massive fake voting in Boyal.
The situation in Assam was peaceful with a significant number of voters turning up during the morning hours to exercise their franchise in the 39 seats where voting was underway in the second phase on Thursday.
There were reports of EVM glitches from some polling stations and upon their immediate replacement voting continued uninterrupted, an election official said.
(With PTI inputs)
73.03% and 80.43% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm in the second phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal, respectively: Election Commission of India
West Bengal: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari who is contesting from Nandigram constituency arrives at a polling booth in Boyal where CM Mamata Banerjee had visited earlier.
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
He says, "She doesn't have any support. She has lost it (poll)." pic.twitter.com/KyY2cBqwfU
72.65% polling in Assam, 79.53% polling in West Bengal, till 5:22 pm: Election Commission of India
Whatever you (Election Commission) try, BJP will not win. In Nandigram, 90% of the votes will go to TMC: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
The question of Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal CM) fighting from any other seat does not arise. She is winning Nandigram comfortably: TMC sources
The Election Commission of India on Thursday sought a detailed report from the administration in connection with an incident of violence in Boyal area in Nandigram where Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee paid a visit to oversee the polling process.
Mamata left the booth where she was sitting and before leaving, she said the Union Home minister instructed the EC and central force to help BJP. "I never saw such bad election. My humble request to the EC not to act like this in the next phases of the election," she said.
West Bengal: Rucks continues near a polling booth in Debra where locals had earlier alleged that people from outside are being called to create problems here. Locals now say, "We want Bharti didi to leave immediately"
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
BJP's Bharti Ghosh & TMC's Humayun Kabir contesting from here pic.twitter.com/gZYPZibuVE
Some people weren't allowed to vote. They were beaten up & made to leave. Those who weren't allowed to vote blocked my way & narrated their ordeal. That's why I called election agent here. Unnecessary havoc being created so that I get stuck: Bharti Ghosh, BJP candidate from Debra
63.03% polling in Assam, 71.07% polling in West Bengal, till 3:31 pm: Election Commission of India
West Bengal: BJP supporters at Uluberia wear t-shirts with 'Raag Keno Didi' (Why Angry, Didi?) written on them.
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public rally here shortly. #WestBengalElections2021 pic.twitter.com/7AICdxoPzE
BJP wave blowing across West Bengal, party will win over 200 seats. Mamata Banerjee will have to account for the deaths of brothers, sisters and sons of Bengal. : PM Narendra Modi at election rally
Have lodged 63 poll-related complaints since morning, no action by EC. We will move court as EC not taking action. Goons from other states creating ruckus here: Mamata in Nandigram
Sitting outside a polling booth, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is alleging that false votes are being cast. Tension likely to increase as both CPI(M) and BJP supporters have started gathering at the same spot.
Mamata Banerjee left her home in Nandigram to visit a polling booth at Boyal from where complaints of not allowing TMC booth agents were being filed. Nandigram has recorded 56 per cent poll till 1 PM.
The chief minister called Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar from the booth she is visiting.
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
58 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in 30 seats of West Bengal where polling is underway for second phase.
Congress-led Mahajot candidate from Tamulpur constituency, Rangja Basumatary (Bodoland People's Front ) was made to disappear. Assam govt's & BJP's responsibility to answer where he is. Demand from EC that a probe should be done in this matter: Manish Tewari, Congress in Guwahati
48.26 per cent votes have been cast till 1 pm, as per the latest Election Commission data.
#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
EC asks the Assam Minister for explanation by 2nd April over his statement at a rally regarding which Congress had complained to EC that he "openly threatened Hagrama Mohilary, Bodoland People's Front Chairperson and INC ally of sending him to jail by misuing Central Agency".
West Bengal: Vehicle of media personnel attacked near booth number 170 in Kamalpur, Nandigram.
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
"These are work of Pakistanis, 'Jay Bangla' is a slogan from Bangladesh. There are voters from a particular community at that booth who are doing this," says BJP's Suvendu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/gMsENDDnA5
The entire Nandigram constituency where chief minister Mamata Benrjee is locked in a high-stakes electoral battle with her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari now with the BJP, has been placed under Section 144, to avoid any untoward incident. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
"People of Assam have given their blessings to the NDA in first phase of assembly poll. Football is a popular sport in Assam. In football parlance, the people of Assam have shown the Congress-led alliance the red card," he said addressing an election rally at Bijni in Kokrajhar. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Paschim Medinipur recorded the highest turnout among districts and Narayangarh recorded the highest turnout among constituencies.
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
27.45 per cent of 73.45 lakh voters exercise their franchise till 11 am in 39 assembly seats where polling is underway for second phase.
37.42 per cent voter turnout recorded till 11 am in 30 seats where polling is underway for second phase.
A BJP worker was beaten up in Samsabad's Kanchan Nagar area today...One Amirul behind the death by hanging of a BJP worker in Maheshnagar, Nandigram. The police is taking action. The overall situation today is peaceful, said the BJP leader.
#eRickshaw facility for 60+ voters was provided in Assam's Cachar. @prasmaz_tnie #AssamAssemblyPolls pic.twitter.com/bgVydRExWD
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) April 1, 2021
21.71% and 29.27% voter turnout recorded till 11.17 am in the second phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal, respectively: Election Commission of India.
Uday Dubey was under tremendous stress as he was receiving threats from the TMC after he attended a roadshow of superstar Mithun Chakraborty who campaigned in the area in support of BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari on March 30, BJP leaders alleged. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Model Polling Stations in Assam's Cachar have become eco-friendly with all recyclable material only being used & are also showing the cultural legacy of the district through display of handicrafts and handlooms. @prasmaz_tnie pic.twitter.com/5iNk4kUzJc
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) April 1, 2021
PWD voters went to exercise their franchise in the Nowgong LAC constituency.@prasmaz_tnie #AssamElection2021 pic.twitter.com/saoykDRyYF
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) April 1, 2021
In Haldia Nagar Mondal 3, There are complaints about voters being forced to vote for Trinamool in Booth Number 240 and 241 at Ward Number 28.
There have been no reports of violence or clashes among political activists in the constituency, barring an incident in the Bhimkata area in Nandigram where the BJP candidate faced an agitation by a group of TMC workers who shouted slogans against him, an Election Commission official said. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Though there were reports of EVM glitches from some polling stations, the exact figure was yet to be ascertained, an official said. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Striving to prove that "Bangla nijer meyekei chaye" (Bengal wants its own daughter), she continues her stride in the political spectrum of the nation that began in 1975 making the headlines by dancing on the car of the most influential leaders of that time Jayaprakash Narayan as a mark of protest. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Assam: All India United Democratic Front President Badruddin Ajmal casts his vote at polling station number 21 in Hojai#AssamAssemblyPolls pic.twitter.com/fp4T08fkEI
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
CPIM workers agitated at Ghatal today, alleged that they were being stopped by TMC workers as they were on their way to cast their vote Later, security forces reached the spot and removed the road blockade
Police detain Mohan Singh, BJP's Mandal President of Debra. This comes after a ruckus erupted near a booth in the constituency today as polling is underway in the second phase of assembly elections.
10.51 per cent and 13.14 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9 am in the second phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal, respectively.
"I have a very old relationship with the people of the area. I have a personal relationship with almost every person in Nandigram. Pretty confident that I will win the election," Adhikari said. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
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
In Nowpara, booth no. 22, Anchal-1, my polling agent has been surrounded by 150 TMC goons. He hasn't been allowed to enter the polling booth. In Barunia, voters being threatened and shown the TMC symbol: Bharti Ghosh, BJP candidate from Debra constituency.
Voters lined up to vote in the second phase of the #AssamAssemblyElections2021 in Darrang and Udalgiri respectively. @prasmaz_tnie pic.twitter.com/Vz8paZ5Md0
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) April 1, 2021
#MamataBanerjee's contestant in Nandigram #SuvenduAdhikari cast his vote as voters lined up to exercise their franchise in the constituency. #WestBengalElection2021 @PranabM29940593 pic.twitter.com/FwIVVR7tMy
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) April 1, 2021
Uttam Dolui, 48, was at a local club in Hariharpur in the district's Keshpur area along with a few others when around 10-15 people allegedly attacked him with sharp weapons, police said. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
?????? ?????? ???? ??????, ????? ????????????????? ?? ??? ????? ?????, ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ?????
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 1, 2021
Mamata Banerjee lit up Nandigram with a slogan that perhaps encapsulates where West Bengal is right now, in terms of the gap between its reality and its desire. “Cool cool Trinamool, thanda thanda cool, vote paabe jora phool,” she thundered, with an elan that TV advertising professionals would envy. Jora phool is the grass flower associated with the West Bengal Chief Minister’s party, the Trinamool. Will it get the votes? Therein hangs a tale. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
In the three-page letter, Mamata appealed to non-BJP leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, ailing NC P founder Sharad Pawar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, DMK chief M K Stalin, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav, Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, PDP head Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(ML) chief Dipankar Bhattacharya and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. She, however, did not write to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who had fancied his chances in the past at leading a third front. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Voting for the second phase of #AssamAssemblyPolls underway at polling station 23-26 at Nowgong Law College in Nagaon pic.twitter.com/KDQqJ850mP
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
West Bengal: Polling underway at booth number 76 in Debra, West Midnapore district, in the second phase of Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/hioo6PETWI
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
In Silchar, voting was temporarily stopped at polling station number 146 at Nirtamoyee Balika Vidyalaya, due to EVM malfunction. Same incident was reported at polling station number 26 at Nowgong Law College in Nagaon.
West Bengal: Voters queue outside polling booth number 110 in Nandigram, as the second phase of voting for Assembly elections gets underway pic.twitter.com/DFH5iSppEU
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Second phase of voting for Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam begin pic.twitter.com/Mzfc1t8Oog
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
West Bengal: Preparations underway at polling station 76 in Nandigram constituency, ahead of voting for the second phase of #WestBengalElections2021 today pic.twitter.com/ASoJm4XcIm
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
West Bengal: Preparations underway at polling station 76 in Nandigram constituency, ahead of voting for the second phase of #WestBengalElections2021 today pic.twitter.com/ASoJm4XcIm
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Voting for the second phase of #AssamAssemblyPolls to begin shortly
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Visuals from polling station 23-26 at Nowgong Law College in Nagaon pic.twitter.com/l9RNT2oXzq
In its letter to the poll panel, BJP on Tuesday alleged, despite "pro-active" role of the commission, "large- scale violence" has been reported during past several days due to such utterances by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
The BJP and its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had won 24 of these seats in the last polls. The Barak Valley has 15 seats and eight of these are currently held by the BJP. The Congress had won three and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) four in 2016. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
"What Mamta Banerjee has said is right that the central government is working to weaken states. The Centre should think to strengthen the states instead of weakening them," Rajasthan CM and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who is in Assam campaigning for the assembly polls, told PTI over phone. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Geholt, whose government was on the brink of collapse last year due to a rebellion by a section of Congress MLAs allegedly at the instigation of the saffron party, claimed at a press conference that the election results of Assam and West Bengal will give "a jerk to the BJP and its fascist ideology". (READ FULL STORY HERE)
Freebies and other items like cigarettes of foreign origin, poppy seeds, black pepper, areca nuts, pan masala worth Rs 14.91 crore have also been confiscated. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
A senior official of the poll body said the EC has also conducted air surveillance in the area with the help of a helicopter in view of the sensitivity of the area and people who are not voters of Nandigram are being barred from entering it, the official said. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
I condemn her remarks in which she's claiming to be from an upper caste community. Where should Muslims & Dalits of West Bengal go, who are not part of 'varna' system? She's practicing PM Modi & BJP's politics of communalism. They are made for each other: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM pic.twitter.com/WNAtWQDtqB
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2021
A senior official also said that the 800 companies of central forces have already been deployed in the state where the first of the eight-phase of assembly election was held on March 27 and the second one will be conducted on Thursday. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has asked for Opposition parties' support. We support her fully. Sharad Pawar was supposed to campaign from April 1-3 in WB, but his tour has been cancelled due to illness. If he recovers, he may campaign in the last phase: NCP leader Nawab Malik.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has realised that she has lost ground in West Bengal and is speaking about her 'gotra' in desperation, but this "drama" will not help her party win the assembly election. (READ FULL STORY HERE)
#WATCH| Everyone has right to unite with like-minded people, but gathering everyone against BJP is an indication that your ship is sinking.There's a saying in English,'Save our souls or Save our ship'. Mamata Ji has accepted her ship is sinking,it's an effort to save it:BJP chief pic.twitter.com/RF1fVSTMOI
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2021