Bengal, Assam see brisk voting in second phase of Assembly polls

After days of high decibel campaigning by political parties, voting for the second phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam began at 7 am on Thursday (April 1). In Pic: Voting underway at booth in in Nandigram.

A total of 69 seats spread across both the states will be at stake. In Pic: Central force at Nandigram.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is fighting a prestige battle against her protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, also visited several booths across the constituency.

Mamata Banerjee slammed the Election Commission for “inaction” despite her party lodging several poll-related complaints and threatened to move the law courts over it.

Situation in Assam was peaceful with a significant number of voters turning up during the morning hours to exercise their franchise in the 39 seats where voting was underway in the second phase on Thursday. (AP)

A polling officer applies indelible ink on the finger of a voter during the second phase of elections in Assam. (AP)

A health worker helps sanitise the hands of voters standing in a queue to cast their votes outside a polling booth in Morigon, Assam. (AP)

People stand in queues to cast their votes at a polling booth in Nandigram, West Bengal.

A woman walks to cast her vote at a polling booth during the second phase of elections for Assam state, in Morigaon district. (AP)