West Bengal elections: 84.24 per cent voting recorded in sixth and final phase

For the first time since Independence, 9,776 residents of border enclaves in Cooch Behar are exercising their franchise, made possible by the formal inclusion of the enclaves in the Indian territory last year.

Over 58 lakh (58,04,019) voters across 6,774 polling stations, including nine auxiliary booths, are eligible to decide the fate of 170 candidates — 18 of them female in this phase. The Election Commission is using 7,790 EVMs and 621 VVPATs.

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As it happened:

7:00 pm: 84.24 per cent voting recorded in sixth and final phase, says EC

5:55 pm: FIR also registered against Udyan Guha, candidate from Dinhata (Coochbehar) for violating secrecy of vote by entering polling compartment & obstructing police officials from discharging their duty.

5:50 pm: FIR registered against TMC candidate from Natabari (Coochbehar) Rabindra Nath Gosh for violating secrecy of vote by entering to voting compartment and threatening the presiding officer.

TMC’s Rabi Ghosh (Natabari) caught on camera slapping his party worker and threatening poll official, says opposition @IndianExpress

— Aniruddha Ghosal (@aniruddhg1) May 5, 2016

4. 10 pm: Overall poll percentage for the sixth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections at 3 pm is 74.15 per cent.

2:15 pm: 61.88 per cent polling recorded till 1 pm

1:00 pm: 48.02 per cent polling in East Midnapore district and 42.07 per cent in Cooch Behar recorded till 11 am.

11:55 am: 45.88% poll percentage recorded till 11am in the sixth and final phase of West Bengal assembly elections

11:00 am: Election Commission live video monitoring vehicle at Sonachura Nandigram 1, East Midnapore

Express photo

10:00 am:

Poll percentage recorded till 9am in the final phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, is 23.46%.

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

9:30 am: Oldest first time voter, Ajgar Ali prepares to cast his vote at Cooch Behar

Express photo

9:20 am:

Here’s another picture from the same polling booth.

(Express photo by Partha Paul)

9:15 am: Voters queuing up at a polling booth in East Midnapur, West Bengal

(Express photo by Partha Paul)

08:15 am:

As the sixth & final phase of West Bengal Assembly polls gets underway, requesting voters to cast their vote in large numbers.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2016

Cooch Behar: Voters line up outside a polling booth to cast their vote in final phase of West Bengal Assembly polls. pic.twitter.com/ecqyrZ87nZ

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

7:00 am: Polling begins for the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections covering 25 constituencies in two districts.

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Following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement, Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August 1, 2015.

Rising to the occasion, the Election Commission has rolled out the red carpet for the 9,776 first-time voters, besides setting up five model polling stations with facilities for sitting, wheelchairs etc.

In East Midnapore, all eyes are on Nandigram, where a peasants agitation in 2006-07 against the erstwhile Left Front government’s bid to acquire farmland for a chemical hub and special economic zone had triggered police firing that resulted in 14 deaths.

The peasants protest played a pivotal role in the ouster of the Left Front after 34 years in office.

While the Left Front is in fray in 18 seats, the Congress is contesting from four constituencies, with the alliance extending support to three independent candidates.

The Trinamool and the BJP are fighting all the seats.

(With agency inputs)

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