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.
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.
(Photo | Express)
West Bengal: Voters queue up outside a polling booth in Bidhannagar.
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
Voting for the fifth phase of #WestBengalElections2021 is underway today. pic.twitter.com/SQFYN0Yo3W
West Bengal: TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty casts her vote at a polling booth in Jalpaiguri, in the fifth phase of the State's Assembly election pic.twitter.com/0YoRFyH4Fj
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
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)
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.
Crude bombs hurled in front of a booth at Gayeshpur in Nadia and one BJP supporter was injured. BJP supporters put up roadblocks.
West Bengal | TMC goons stopped me here at Nayapatti. They are also stopping the voters even as polling is underway: BJP candidate from Bidhan Nagar, Sabyasachi Dutta, in the assembly constituency pic.twitter.com/wT4VqtvAoR
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
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)
(Inputs from PTI)
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)
(Inputs from PTI)
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)
"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)
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.
As far as the authenticity of the tape is concerned, Derek O'Brien and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy confirmed it in a conversation with media. The only goal of the tape was to create further polarisation: Shishir Bajoria, BJP after meeting Election Commission in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/sjLLoOKQl4
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
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)
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.
West Bengal: CP Ajoy Nanda visits various polling booths in Kamarhati assembly constituency, in North 24 Paraganas
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
"Elections are underway peacefully. We are ensuring free and fair elections," he says pic.twitter.com/LRahQ7WH0M
ITBP troops guarding polling booths in Anulia, Ranaghat and Purba Bardhaman during the 5th phase of West Bengal Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/KOgJvVibEp
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
Election Commission has sought a report over the sudden death of a BJP polling agent at booth number 107 in Kamarhati today.
BJP's polling agent fell sick in a booth in Kamarhati constituency in North 24 Parganas and died.
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 in Kolkata, on CM and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee's purported audio clip over Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar violence.
West Bengal Minister and TMC candidate from Bidhannagar, Sujit Bose visits polling booth in East Calcutta Girls College in the assembly constituency, as polling in the fifth phase of assembly elections is underway pic.twitter.com/kZ0kabfCy0
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
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)
At Gayeshpur in Kalyani, Nadia, BJP supporters' shops ransacked by alleged TMC supporters and assaulted BJP's booth president. BJP supporters put up roadblock.
#WestBengalElections2021 | TMC leader Madan Mitra casts his vote at a polling booth in Kamarhati pic.twitter.com/Dxmdvs31rf
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
TMC leader Madan Mitra offers prayers at Dakshineshwar Kali Temple in North 24 Paraganas#WestBengalElections2021 pic.twitter.com/nkXozg1EZz
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
There are by-polls taking place in different parts of the country. I urge voters in the seats polling today to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2021
Voters queue up outside Hiralal Mazumder Memorial College for Women - designated as a polling booth - in Dakshineswar, Kolkata. Voting for the fifth phase of #WestBengalElections2021 is underway today. pic.twitter.com/h9uYFp9xC7
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021
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 at Booth number 263 in Darjeeling during the fifth phase of #WestBengalElections2021 pic.twitter.com/CtO0A4dJUP
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2021