Amid a few skirmishes, the voter turnout for the seventh and penultimate phase of the high-stakes West Bengal election reached 55.12 percent at 2 pm on Monday. Among the districts, Murshidabad maintained the highest turnout with 60.53 percent, while Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda registered 58.96 percent and 58.16 percent respectively.
Bhagabangola recorded the highest percentage of voters among all constituencies at 62.65 percent while Raninagar and Bhowanipore recorded 62.56 percent and 41.97 percent respectively. Earlier during polling today, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate Agnimitra Paul on Monday accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) agents of manipulating voters by wearing a cap with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's photo on it, at a booth in her constituency during the polling for the seventh phase of the assembly elections.
Paul, a candidate from Asansol Dakshin constituency said, "TMC polling agent was wearing a cap with Chief Minister's photo on it, at a polling booth at Baktarnagar High School in Asansol Dakshin and when we complain about it, the presiding officer says that he is unwell and did not notice it."
Meanwhile, a BJP polling agent named Sankar Sakar alleged that he was forcefully pushed out of booth number 91 by TMC members and made to leave the spot in Bakhra village of Ratua, Malda. He said, "TMC members told me that they won't let me there as I'm not a voter there. They forcefully pushed me out".
A total of 268 candidates, including 37 women are in the fray in this phase of the West Bengal elections.
The phase will witness an intense battle in six constituencies in Dakshin Dinajpur, six in Malda, nine in Murshidabad. Nine in Paschim Bardhaman and four in Kolkata, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Polling for the eighth and final phase will take place on April 29. While the counting of votes will take place on May 2.
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