Latest Poll Trends: Healthy turnout seen at 9 am in assembly polls, Tamil Nadu registers 17.6% turnout while West Bengal sees 18.7%
West Bengal Phase 1 Polling Begins Across 152 Constituencies In 16 Districts
Voting has begun for 152 constituencies across 16 districts of West Bengal from 7 in the morning today. Since early morning, long queues of voters have been seen outside polling booths.
To ensure the smooth conduct of this first phase of the election, a massive security arrangement is in place. A total of 2,407 companies of the central forces have been deployed. Murshidabad, with its two police districts, has the highest concentration, with 316 companies stationed. East Midnapore follows with 273 companies.
In all, nearly half a million personnel from the central forces and state police are engaged in managing the polling process.
This phase also sees 1,478 candidates contesting, including 167 women. The highest number of candidates, 15 each, are in Cooch Behar South, Karandighi, and Itahar. Chandrakona has the lowest, with just five candidates in the fray.
Polling Begins For All 234 Seats In Tamil Nadu
Polling has begun for all 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. Voting began at 7 AM and will continue till 6 PM. Over 5.73 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 4,023 candidates in the fray.
Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said that extensive, multi-layered, and comprehensive arrangements are made by the Election Commission to ensure smooth, orderly, and peaceful polling in the state. More than 75 thousand polling stations have been established across the state to facilitate voter participation and ensure accessibility.
Security arrangements have been significantly strengthened and scaled up, with the deployment of about 84 thousand police personnel across the state at polling stations, strong rooms, and other sensitive locations to maintain law and order. In addition to this, 300 companies of CAPF, including CRPF personnel, have been stationed across sensitive and vulnerable areas to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incidents during the polling process.
Flying squads, surveillance teams, and static monitoring units have been actively deployed and are continuously working across districts to check violations of the Model Code of Conduct and to respond promptly to any complaints.
Mobile phones will not be allowed inside polling stations, and special arrangements have been made at polling booths for voters to safely deposit their devices before entering the polling premises to cast their votes.
The results of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, along with Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, will be declared on May 4.
