West Bengal poll phase 1B: Final turnout 83.73%

Kolkata: Thirty-one constituencies in three districts of West Bengal went to polls on Monday (April 11). This is the second day of phase 1 of this year's election in the state which started on April 4 (Monday) [High turnout in Phase 1A]. Tight security was in place to ensure fair and peaceful polling. [Pix of Bengal polls 2016]

• Assembly Polls 2016 Full Coverage
• High-profile candidates of West Bengal poll phase 1B
• A brief look at 2011 results in 31 seats going to polls today
• Bengal poll results: 1952-2011
• Cautious EC defers release of turnout figures every 2 hours
• Assam goes to final phase of polling

Phase 1B: A brief look:

• Total candidates 163 (women 21)
• Total voters: 69.9 lakh
• Male voters: 36.11 lakh
• Women voters: 33.68 lakh
• Maximum candidates: Chhatna constituency (Bankura)
• Minimum candidates: Keshpur constituency (West Midnapore)
• Total polling stations: 8,465
• Total EVMS: 8,465

  

  End of updates.
  
  7.20 pm: In none of the polling stations in West Bengal, any type of violence or clash has taken place: Election Commission. Final turnout said to be around 83.73 per cent.
  
  6.36 pm: Left Front claims widespread booth capturing and false voting in the second round of the first phase of the West Bengal assembly polls.
  
  6.11 pm: Polling for the first phase concludes. Today was the second day of the first phase. The next phase is scheduled on April 17 (Sunday) when 56 constituencies will go to the polls.
  
  6.10 pm: The day finishes with a clash between TMC and CPI(M) supporters in Sattar village in Jamuria constituency in Burdwan district. Nine people injured while four go missing.
  
  5.45 pm: Ruling party cadres captured 150 polling booths in Keshpur constituency, said Left Front chairman Biman Bose. He also said the authorities and forces did nothing and remained mute spectators.
  
  4.30 pm: Polling turnout till 3 pm: 71.60% [West Midnapore: 76%, Bankura 70.84%, Burdwan 67.96%]
  
  3.55 pm: Polling officer removed after tainted former TMC MLA Sohrab Ali enters booth in Raniganj. Ali was sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment by an Asansol court for stealing railway iron scraps in 1995.
  
  3.40 pm: Central force jawans accused of resting during duty hours. They allegedly resisted the media personnel when they tried to take photographs. This incident has been reported from asansol in Duirgapur constituency.
  
  2.43 pm: Didi and Modi have turned this election into a farce, says West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury.
  
  2.40 pm: EC receives over 1,150 complaints in this phase. It has successfully looked into 900 of them.
  
  2.15 pm: Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra says the ruling TMC is not allowing people to vote. He also said the Election Commission failed to live up to the expectations.

  

  
  

  2.10 pm: Polling turnout till 1 pm: 59.78% [West Midnapore: 67%, Bankura 57.60%, Burdwan 57.78%]
  
  2.02 pm: Supporters of TMC, CPI(M) and BJP clash in Jamuria in Burdwan district.
  
  1.40 pm: Several booths have been found to be empty in all three districts that have gone to polls on Monday. The temperature has crossed 40 degrees in all three districts. It is expected that voters will return after 4 pm. Two persons have died in heat so far --- in Bankura and Burdwan districts.

  

  
  
  1.15 pm: EC full bench calls up West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta, asks what steps are being taken to deal with complaints about central forces. He has also been asked about the large volume of complaints that the EC has been receiving during the day.
  
  12.47 pm: DSP candidate and sitting MLA of Pingla, West Midnapore, Prabodh Chandra Sinha accuses the ruling TMC of rigging in the constituency.
  
  12.16 pm: TMC accused of attacking CPI(M) and Congress supporters in Durgapur in Burdwan district. Injured include a woman.
  
  12.40 pm: Congress protests against TMC in Kolkata, accuses the ruling party of disrupting elections.
  
  11.55 am: Voter turnout 39.69 per cent recorded till 11 am. [West Midnapore 48%, Bankura 32%, Burdwan 35%] [Video: TMC-CPM supporters clash]
  
  11.13 am: Mercury rises in the three districts that went to polls. [Bankura 41 degrees C, West Midnapore 40 degrees C and Burdwan 39 degrees C]
  
  11.12 am: A voter dies in Bishnupur constituency because of extreme heat conditions. The 55-year-old man fell ill while standing in the voters' queue and died before being taken to hospital.
  
  11.03 am: EC receives 573 complaints till 10 am in phase 1B; in phase 1A, the entire day saw 570 complaints
  
  10.50 am: Polling officer in Kulti constituency removed by the EC on charges of remaining a mute spectator after a voter was intimidated.
  
  10.35: Clash reported between Trinamool and Left supporters in Keshpur, West Midnapore.
  
  10.15 am: Twenty per cent polling recorded till 9 am. [West Midnapore 24%, Bankura 19%, Burdwan 17%]

  9.55 am:

  Armed man seen roaming around in Sonamukhi constituency in Bankura.

  Unidentified gunman moving around in Sonamukhi, assembly constituency in Bankura district of West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/fT9Ca6qIQl

  — ANI (@ANI_news) April 11, 2016

  Requesting all those voting in Assam & West Bengal today to cast their vote in large numbers.

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 11, 2016

  
  
  9.40 am: EC receives 350 complaints in the first two-and-hours since election started today.

  9.35 am: Long queue of voters seen in Ghatal, Garbeta and Keshiari constituencies in West Midnapore district.
  

  9.34 am: Turnout after first two hours yet not revealed. It is said the Election Commission will reveal the numbers only after receiving written reports from the concerned districts and is not just banking on SMSes as the numbers had created confusion after the first phase. [Final turnout of Phase 1A goes up to 84.22%]
  
  9.15 am: Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra stopped from entering booth by some voters in his constituency in Narayangarh. They complained that voting process would be delayed if the candidate is present. Mishra said he would take up the matter with the EC.
  
  9.07 am: Day to rewrite history in Kharagpur, tweets Bengal BJp chief Dilip Ghosh. He is contesting from Kharagpur Sadar which was won by Congress's Gyansingh Sohanpal in 2011.

  আজ খড়্গপুরে নুতন ইতিহাস গড়ার দিন।
  
  আশা করবো ১১ এপ্রিলের ভোটে মানুষের বিপুল সমর্থন বাংলা & বিজেপি এর সাথে থাকবে।#vote4bengal #vote4bjp

  — Dilip Ghosh (@DilipGhoshBJP) April 11, 2016

  
  

  #Vote4Left Red Flag Joy, Red Flag Ki Jai in Sonamukhi, West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/6uJDUlic2v

  — CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 10, 2016

  
  
  8.58 am: Second-day wicket of seven-day Test looks full of runs for TMC, tweets party MP Derek O'brien

  Rise & Shine. Second day of a 7-day Test match. Wicket looks full of runs for party led by @MamataOfficial #BengalPolls #AITCWinning

  — Derek O'Brien (@quizderek) April 11, 2016

  
  

  8.40 am: Election Commission receives 140 complaints within one hour of beginning of polling.
  
  8.30 am: EVMs out of order in 3 booths in Garbeta constituency in West Midnapore; voting stopped.
  
  8.20 am: Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra personally helps a CPM polling agent reach a booth after she was allegedly heckled by TMC supporters in his constituency Narayangarh. Otherwhise, voting is going on peacefully in this constituency.
  
  7.58 am: Nine injured in TMC-CPI(M) clash in Jamuria constituency in Burdwan district. Crude bombs found. Parties blame each other.

  Some TMC workers came and started beating us up with lathi :CPI (M) worker on clash in Jamuria (West Bengal) pic.twitter.com/uV11CuEFxA

  — ANI (@ANI_news) April 11, 2016

  
  

  7.54 am: Central forces are not seen in Kotulpur constituency in Bankura, say TV reports.
  
  7.39 am: Constituencies of Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh [Kharagpur Sadar] and Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra [Narayangarh] vote today.

  

  
  
  
  
  7.30 am: Polling officer of booth No. 234 in Pandabeswar constituency in Burdwan district dies of heart attack.

  7.19 am: Left's polling agents allegedly beaten up by Trinamool Congress cadres in various booths in Jamuria constituency in Burdwan district. One arrested. Clashes between Left and TMC supporters also reported.

  West Bengal: Polling to begin shortly, visuals from a polling booth in Asansol. pic.twitter.com/J0lykmzYGC

  — ANI (@ANI_news) April 11, 2016

  7.00 am: Polling begins. [Total 31 seats: West Midnapore: 13 seats, Bankura and Burdwan districts: 9 each]

  Stay tuned for the live updates.

  Oneindia News