West Bengal records 16% turnout in 8 LS seats

West Bengal by 9 am witnessed a voter turnout of 16.54% in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the sixth phase, officials confirmed.

 

Polling commenced at 7 am in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur constituencies, scheduled to continue till 6 pm.

 

Tamluk recorded the highest polling at 19.07%, followed by Bishnupur (18.56%), Ghatal (18.27%), Bankura (17.69%), Jhargram (16.22%), Kanthi (15.45%), Medinipur (14.58%), and Purulia (12.68%).

 

The election office reported no untoward incidents, ensuring peaceful voting. However, it received 364 complaints by 8:55 am.

 

A total of 1,45,34,228 voters – comprising 73,63,273 men, 71,70,822 women, and 133 belonging to the third-gender – are eligible across 15,600 polling stations.

 

Bankura and Jhargram feature the highest number of candidates at 13 each, followed by Purulia (12), and nine each in Medinipur and Tamluk. Bishnupur and Ghatal have seven contestants each.

 

Notable candidates include Bengali superstar Dev, seeking a third term as TMC MP from Ghatal, former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay contesting as the BJP candidate in Tamluk, and Union Minister Subhas Sarkar in Bankura.

 

A total of 919 companies of central forces, along with over 29,000 state police personnel, have been deployed to ensure security during the polling process.