With unprecedented security in place, the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections began Thursday across 152 constituencies, with 2.4 lakh personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and state police deployed to oversee polling.
In a first, CAPF personnel have been given charge of security up to 100 metres around polling stations to prevent intimidation or violence.
No civic volunteers or contractual staff from the state or the Central government were assigned polling duties. A central control room has been set up at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Kolkata, where senior officials are monitoring the process.
Mock polls began at 5 am across 44,376 booths, with long queues of voters—particularly women—seen in several of the 16 poll-bound districts. A total of 1,478 candidates are contesting in this phase.
Cooch Behar Dakshin, Karandighi, and Itahar have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while Chandrakona in West Medinipur has the lowest, with five candidates.
Following the last-minute inclusion of 139 electors, the total voter count for this phase stands at 3,60,77,310. Samsherganj in Murshidabad has the lowest number of voters (1,61,435), while Daspur in West Medinipur has the highest (2,90,045).
To ensure free and fair polling, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has also arranged webcasting at all polling stations and appointed 152 general observers and 58 police observers.
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Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal reviewed preparedness late into Wednesday night, holding meetings with observers and officials overseeing the 16 districts.
Key political figures whose electoral fate will be decided in this phase include Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Shankar Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul and Nisith Pramanik; TMC leaders Udayan Guha, Kajal Sheikh, Kanailal Agarwal, Goutam Dev and Arpita Ghosh; and Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Mausam Benazir Noor and Ali Imran Ramz Victor.
Polling was briefly delayed at a booth in Mothabari due to an EVM malfunction.
Meanwhile, incidents of violence were reported from parts of the state. In Sitalkuchi, a BJP Kisan Morcha leader was seriously injured after an alleged assault. In Naoda, TMC candidate Sahina Mumtaj claimed she was attacked by supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, a charge denied by party leader Humayun Kabir.
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On Wednesday night, clashes between CPI(M) and TMC supporters left four people injured.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
