West Bengal election Phase 1A: Final turnout 84.22%

Kolkata, April 4: Eighteen constituencies of West Bengal Assembly went to election on Monday (April 4). The constituencies are in the Jangalmahal area in the three districts of Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura. A turnout of 81 per cent was recorded in this phase. [Final voter turnout goes up to 84.22%]

• 70% turnout recorded in Assam Assembly election Phase 1

• Know your state: West Bengal
• List of 18 seats going to polls on April 4
• Brief 2011 results of 18 seats going to polls on April 4
• Top contests of 2016
• Assembly Elections 2016: Full Coverage

In brief: Phase 1A:

• Total seats: 18
• Total candidates: 133
• Total voters: 40.9171 lakh
• Total booths: 4,945
• Total company fo central forces: 172

End of updates

7.10 pm: 84.22 per cent voter turnout recorded in this phase. The Election Commission received a total of 537 complaints during the polling process. Polling ended in 13 extremism-hit constituencies till 4 pm while in another five, it concluded at 6 pm.

5.30 pm: Polling for Assembly election closed in Purulia district.

4.17 pm: Central forces accused of lathicharging against women voters in Shalboni in West Midnapore.

4.10 pm: Polling concludes in 13 constituencies in West Midnapore (six), Bankura (nine) and Purulia (four). Polling to continue for another two hours in the rest of the five seats in Purulia.

3.40 pm: Average voter turnput 75.24% till 3 pm: Bankura 74.61%, Purulia 73.8%, West Midnapore 78.08%

3.00 pm: Clash between villagers at Piyalshole in Purulia district. One person had a fractured head. A few were also injured. No observer of flying squad member were seen, say TV reports.
[Left candidate, journalists targeted]

1.55 pm: Purulia resgistered above 80% polling in 2011, six seats of W Midnapore 87% and three seats of Bankura 86.33%

1.40 pm: Polling per cent till 1 pm: West Midnapore: 65.45%, Bankura: 62.15%, Purulia: 61.95%

12.35 pm: Media representatives reportedly attacked in Salboni constituency in West Midnapore.

12.20 pm: A team of BJP delegates met EC officials urging for a fair and peaceful Assembly election in Bengal.

12.10 pm: BJP candidate allegedly beaten up and threatened in Nayagram constituency in West Midnapore. The BJP had won 5.5 per cent vote-share in 2011.

11.50 am: Women at a booth in Nayagram constituency accused TMC of threatening them if they voted for Opposition, say TV reports. They also received threat of stopping their widow pension.

11.28 am: Voting percentage till 11 am: West Midnapore 47.53%, Bankura 45.02%, Purulia 43.43%

11.13 am: Central forces were seen buying vegetables in Taldangra constituency in Bankura; when asked, they said. "We have to eat," said TV reports.

10.55 am: EC receives 190 complaints of poll-rule violation in less than 4 hours, say TV reports.

10.47 am: TMC candidate Dulal Murmu accused of entering a booth in his seat Nayagram. He was reportedly stopped by the central forces.

10.24 am: Central forces get busy in shopping in Chila in Bandwan constituency on election day, says Bengali channel 24 Ghanta.

10.15 am: Election Commission receives 66 complaints of poll rule violation in the three districts that have gone to polls in three hours since polling started, local channels report.

10.00 am: The ruling TMC has been accused by the Left of capturing two booths in Salboni constituency in West Midnapore district. Charges baseless, DM tells EC.

9.29 am: One EVM in Ranibandh constituency of Bankura showed just one vote was registered after 92 people cast their ballots. Will they be recalled to revote is not known yet.

9.20 am: Voting percentage till 9 am: Purulia: 22.5%, West Midnapore: 24%, Bankura: 24%

9.14 am: Presiding officer of booth No. 239 of Balarampur constituency in Purulia removed after charges came up of the polling agent influencing voters to cast their ballot, said TV reports.

8.54 am: Election Commission (EC) seeks report from Purulia DM over charges of state police, TMC agents rigging elections at a booth in Balarampur constituency in the district.

8.38 am: Allegations of vote rigging in booth No. 239 in Balarampur constituency of Purulia. Central forces are guarding outside the booth. The TMC agent has been accused of directing the voters to cast ballot.

8.28 am: 675 booths have miscro-observers; 157 booths have web casting; helicopters carry out vigilance; quick response team in place.

8.24 am: The BJP alleges ransacking of a booth in Midnapore cosntituency. BJP candidate Tushar Mukhopadhyay brings the charge. (2011 winner: TMC]

8.10 am: Polling will continue in 9 seats (3 in Bankura & 6 in West Midnapore) till 4 pm. In the other nine, it will continue till 6 pm.

8.03 am: Bandwan in Purulia is the largest constituency in this phase (2011 winner: CPI(M)). Raipur in Bankura is the smallest (2011 winner: CPI(M))

7.58 am: EVM at booth No. 138 in Purulia district has technical snag; voting stopped.

7.48 am: Technical snag in EVM in booth No. 286 in West Midnapore district; voting has stopped for the moment.

7.40 am: Heavyweight Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Jhargram seat in West Midnapore Sukumar Hansda said there was no contest in his seat. The former state minister, who has been accused of amassing wealth, may benefit since the Left-Congress alliance in this seat has not consolidated and the Left is backing Jharkhand Party candidate Chunibala Hansda in this seat. Hansda won the 2011 election from Jhargram by getting 44.67 per cent vote.

7.33 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges voters of West Bengal and Assam to exercise the franchise.

7.24 am: One-hundred and thirty-three candidates are in the fray for this phase of West Bengal election. Total number of booths: 4,945; total number of voters: 40 lakh

7.15 am: BJP hopes to do good in Nayagram where state party chief Dilip Ghosh is a voter. Some high profile BJP leaders have campaigned in this constituency. The saffron party had 5.5 per cent votes in this seat in the 2011 polls.

7.00 am: Polling begins for Phase 1A.

6.58 am: High security in place for Phase 1A. Central forces have been deployed in each booth. Helicopters keep vigilance from above.

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