Women show their voter ID card, as they stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the 5th phase of West Bengal State Assembly polls.
At least 78.36 per cent voter turnout was registered till 5 pm on Saturday across 45 assembly constituencies of West Bengal where voting was held for the fifth phase, Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab said. Bengal elections are being held in 8 phases while the counting of votes will take place on May 2.
Bengal elections phase 5 polling concludes | Takeaways
- Jalpaiguri witnessed the highest polling percentage (81.73), followed by Purba Bardhaman (81.72), Nadia (81.57), North 24 Parganas (74.83), Darjeeling (74.31) and Kalimpong (69.56), he said.
- "By and large polling has been peaceful in Bengal today apart from a few incidents of violence," Aftab said.
- At least 123 people, including one Independent candidate, were arrested during polling in the six districts of the state, the CEO said.
- "Out of the total figure, 100 are preventive arrests. Independent candidate Koushik Bhowmick was held from Baliadanga Daspara in Chakdah assembly constituency for carrying a country-made firearm outside booth 44, 44A. It was seized," Aftab told reporters.
- Three people were apprehended for attacking and injuring one person in Shantipur, and two others were detained for ransacking a house in Gayespur.
- Altogether, 2,241 complaints were received from the constituencies, where voting was held from 7 am to 6.30 pm, he said.
- The Election Commission had deployed at least 853 companies of central forces for Saturday's polling.
(With PTI inputs)
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