Bengal Elections HIGHLIGHTS | Polling for phase five concludes with reports of violence in few districts

At many places, voters were seen without masks despite COVID-19 cases increasing across the state and the country.
People stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the 5th phase of State Assembly elections at Santipur, in Nadia, Saturday, April 17, 2021. (Photo | PTI)
People stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the 5th phase of State Assembly elections at Santipur, in Nadia, Saturday, April 17, 2021. (Photo | PTI)

In the fifth phase, 45 seats spread across North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman, Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong went to polls.

Barring a few districts, peacefull elections were conducted in other parts of the state despited the worry of COVID-19 surge.

Minor scuffle between the BJP and TMC supporters was earlier reported at Bidhannagar.

Long queues were seen outside most of the polling booths with people choosing to vote early to avoid the heat.

At many places, voters were seen without masks despite COVID-19 cases increasing across the state and the country.

The security forces ensured social distancing at the booths, while poll officials provided masks, hand sanitisers and polythene gloves to the voters.

A total of 1,13,47,344 people are eligible to vote.

The polling started at 7.00 am and will continue till 6.30 pm in 15,789 stations across the six districts.

The Election Commission has deployed 853 companies of central forces in this phase.

Voter turnout for phase V polls reaches 78.36 per cent at 5.30 pm

Out of the six districts, Jalpaiguri recorded the highest turnout with 81.71 per cent, while Purba Bardhaman and Nadia registered 81.67 per cent and 81.50 per cent respectively.

BJP candidate in Kamarhati, North 24 Parganas, Raju Banerjee's vehicle damaged by alleged TMC supporters

(Photo | Express)

69.40 per cent voter turnout recorded till 4:13 pm in West Bengal phase five polling

(Photo | PTI)

Mamata put future of millions of Bengal's youth at stake to secure nephew's; playing politics of vengence: PM Modi

Attacking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said she has put the future of millions of youth at stake to secure the future of her 'Bhaipo' (nephew).
(READ FULL STORY HERE)

Masked voters in Kolkata!

Voters stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during 5th phase of State Assembly Election at Salt Lake, in Kolkata. (Photo | PTI)

JUST IN | A TMC supporter was injured when BJP supporters allegedly opened fire in Shantipur, Nadia during polling.

Violence reported near polling booth in Nadia

Crude bombs hurled in front of a booth at Gayeshpur in Nadia and one BJP supporter was injured. BJP supporters put up roadblocks.

BJP candidate alleges TMC 'goons' stopping people from entering polling booth to vote

A polling official conducts thermal screeing of voters, as they stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the 5th phase of State Assembly Election, amid the rise in covid -19 cases across the country at Ranaghat, Nadia. (Photo | PTI)

TMC broken, CM Mamata Banerjee playing politics with dead bodies: PM Modi in rally

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the TMC has been broken in the first four phases of elections, and asserted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew would be vanquished by the end of polling in the state.
  • Speaking at an election rally here, in the sprawling industrial town of Asansol, Modi also claimed the Trinamool Congress supremo has an old habit of doing politics with dead bodies and has been trying to politicise the "unfortunate" death of five people at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district on April 10.
  • (Inputs from PTI)

    BJP urges EC to form SIT to probe CM Mamata Banerjee's purported audiotape on Sitalkuchi firing

    Just a day before the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, the BJP on Friday released an audiotape, in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can be purportedly heard telling the TMC candidate from the Sitalkuchi constituency Partha Pratim Ray to hold protests with bodies of the four killed in firing by security forces in the fourth phase polling on April
    (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    54.67 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1:34 pm: Election Commission

    (Photo | PTI)

    BJP booth agent dies after falling sick during polling

  • A booth agent of the BJP died after falling sick at a polling station in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, prompting the Election Commission to seek a report, an official said.
  • Abhijit Samanta, the BJP agent of booth number 107 in the Kamarhati assembly constituency, fell sick within an hour of the beginning of the polling, he said.
  • Samanta was declared brought dead when taken to a hospital, he said.
  • (Inputs from PTI)

    Sporadic violence, alleged booth captures mark fifth phase of Bengal polls

    Polling was being held in 45 seats in North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman and Nadia in south Bengal, and Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the north. (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    Bengal polls: What did BJP do for Gorkha community? asks Bimal Gurung

    "I supported BJP for 15 years but what did it do for my community? Modi had assured us and made a commitment, it has been six-seven years now but it is yet to be completed," he added. (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    'Form probe panel against Mamata': BJP to EC

    It is requested that the Commission may examine the issue immediately and constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for carrying out a detailed investigation in this regard: BJP writes to West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer.

    Bengal BJP delegation meets EC, complains against Mamata

    Latest polling figures from Bengal

    36.02 per cent voter turnout recorded till 11:37 am.

    Bengal polls phase five: BJP booth worker dies in Kamarhati, EC seeks report

    A BJP worker said, "We do not know what exactly happened as we are not allowed in a radius of 200 metres. I went with water after seeing him lying on the ground." (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    Kolkata: Clash breaks out between Trinamool and BJP supporters, two reportedly injured

    Two of our people were injured in stone-pelting by BJP supporters at booth numbers 265 & 272. We have informed the election observer and police. The situation is normal now: TMC's Sujit Bose, Bidhan Nagar.

    Senior Bengal cop visits polling booths

    Latest visuals from Bengal districts

    Gorkha outfit call for Trinamool's ouster from power

  • As polling got underway in North Bengal on Saturday, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) president Mann Ghising said the people of the Hills want to change the state government and the situation looks like 'khela shesh' (game ends).
  • "It looks like 'khela shesh' so far. We are keeping a watch. As far as the Hills and our problems are concerned, we want that this government to be changed. We want the BJP government. We want justice," Ghising told ANI.
  • Voting for the fifth phase of West Bengal assembly polls began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security. Out of the 45 constituencies, where polling is being held in the fifth phase, 13 constituencies are from North Bengal including five in Darjeeling, one in Kalimpong, and seven in Jalpaiguri.
  • North Bengal has witnessed a lot of socio-political turbulence like the Gorkhaland movement. A separate state of 'Gorkhaland' has been a long-standing demand of Nepali-speaking Gorkhas since 1907 on the grounds that they are culturally and ethnically different from West Bengal. In the current scenario, GTA is the local autonomous body in the Darjeeling hills, which is headed by the Binoy Tamang-led faction of the GJM that supports the TMC.
  • Apart from the political disturbance, the adversities of tea garden workers and lack of employment opportunities are the key issues in the region. The BJP has promised a political solution to the Gorkha issue. It has also promised an increase in daily wages for tea workers to Rs 350. Caste card is also in the fray as BJP is trying to woo the ethnic and tribal population of the region with the promise of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
  • On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is counting upon the development and welfare works of her government.
  • The most dynamic political development in North Bengal this election is the switching of camp by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung from BJP to TMC. Gurung, the man who has been spearheading the Gorkha movement, helped the BJP to get a foothold in this region is now with the state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
  • The most talked-about contests are in three seats --- Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong. Here the two factions of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) one led by Bimal Gurung and the other by his former deputy Binay Tamang are in a direct contest.
  • In the Darjeeling constituency, Pemba Tshering is the candidate for GJM (Gurung) and Keshav Raj Sharma for GJM (Tamang).
  • BJP has fielded Neeraj Zimba Tamang from the seat. Gautam Raj Rai is the CPI(M) candidate from Darjeeling. In these three constituencies, TMC has not fielded its candidate as GJM is backing the TMC. The GJM had won these seats in the last two Assembly elections.
  • In the Siliguri constituency, CPI(M)'s Ashok Bhattacharya is the key contestant against BJP candidate Shankar Ghosh and TMC's Omprakash Mishra. Bhattacharya, the former Mayor of Siliguri is a prominent communist leader in North Bengal.
  • BJP has fielded Anandamoy Barman against Congress' sitting MLA Sankar Malakar and TMC's Rajan Sundas. Malakar has been representing the Matigara-Naxalbari Assembly constituency since 2011.
  • EC seeks report over BJP polling agent's death

    Election Commission has sought a report over the sudden death of a BJP polling agent at booth number 107 in Kamarhati today.

    Latest polling data from Bengal

    16.15 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9:32 am.

    Polling agent dies

    BJP's polling agent fell sick in a booth in Kamarhati constituency in North 24 Parganas and died.

    Trinamool to approach poll body again?

    I've full authority to enter a polling booth. They (Central forces) even searched my pocket in which I was carrying pictures of my goddess. This is a democratic country. I'm going to meet Chief Election Commissioner: TMC leader and candidate Madan Mitra.

    BJP to meet Election Commission today

    BJP to meet Election Commission today in Kolkata, on CM and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee's purported audio clip over Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar violence.

    Bengal Minister and Trinamool candidate Sujit Bose visits polling booth

    Long schedule, lack of fresh issues force parties to rekindle NRC debate

    Time and again, Trinamool Congress and BJP have traded barbs over this. Ahead of the fifth phase of polling on Saturday, it was no different as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee engaged in a war of words over NRC. (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    Trinamool-BJP clash reported in Nadia

    At Gayeshpur in Kalyani, Nadia, BJP supporters' shops ransacked by alleged TMC supporters and assaulted BJP's booth president. BJP supporters put up roadblock.

    Madan Mitra casts his vote

    Like the previous four phases, allegations of electoral malpractices kick in as polling gets underway

  • AC Name - Nagrakata.
  • Booth no - 206.
  • Issue - Presiding officer allegedly not allowing voters to vote without voter info slip, in spite of the voters' name in the voter list.
  • AC Name - Dabgram Phulbar.
  • Booth no - 39.
  • Issue - BJP agent is allegedly wandering with a bag around the booth and trying to manipulate the voters. AC Name - Mal.
  • Booth no - 183.
  • Issue - CRPF allegedly asking voters to cast vote for BJP. Creating hindrance.
  • AC Name - Maynaguri.
  • Booth no. – 222, 223, 227.
  • Issue - TMC Polling agent is not being allowed to enter into the booth by alleged BJP activists.
  • Trinamool candidate Madan Mitra prays at Dakshineshwar Kali Temple

    Vote in record numbers: Modi to Bengal residents

    Visuals from Kolkata

    Want a change in government: Gorkha leader

    It looks like 'khela shesh' so far. We're keeping a watch. As far as the Hills and our problems are concerned, we want that this government be changed; we want BJP govt, we want justice: Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) president Mann Ghising, in Darjeeling.

    Polling underway in Darjeeling

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