Euro-Bangla Desk
Polling for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections has begun amidst tension and tight security. About 3.6 million voters are voting for 152 constituencies from 7 am local time on Thursday (April 23).
Spontaneous presence of voters in the polling stations is visible since morning. The long queue of women and young voters in particular added an extra dimension to this festival of democracy.
According to the Election Commission, polling will continue till 5 pm. To ensure free and fair elections, several layers of flawless security have been set up across the state.
Voting is taking place in several politically important and sensitive constituencies of West Bengal in this phase. These include Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Malda in North Bengal; Multiple constituencies in Murshidabad district, and Nandigram.
Army personnel have been deployed along with the police and central forces to maintain a peaceful environment. Air force helicopters and drones are conducting air surveillance in sensitive areas.
The Election Commission said it has adopted a zero tolerance policy to avoid any kind of disorder.
Although the polling started peacefully, there were reports of isolated clashes between political parties in some places including Nandigram, Dantan and Barasat last night.
The local administration has confirmed that several people have been arrested for their involvement in these incidents.
Note, this election of 294 seats in West Bengal is being held in two phases. After today’s first phase, the second and last phase of polling will be held on April 29. Election results will be announced on May 4.
