Kolkata/Siliguri, April 18 (IANS) Polling proceeded peacefully and steadily in the first phase of the West Bengal elections Monday with 32 percent turnout recorded till noon in the 54 constituencies spread across six northern districts, officials said.
However, there was a vote boycott in six polling booths of Malda district and two others in South Dinajpur district on local issues, said Joint Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Sarkar.
Polling began at 7 a.m. In some places, people cast their vote in candlelight due to power cuts and, in a few polling booths, electronic voting machines (EVMs) malfunctioned only to be set right soon. But polling proceeded smoothly.
From the hill station of Darjeeling to Malda, famed for its mouthwatering mangoes, there was great enthusiasm among people who lined up attired in their best to choose their representatives from among 364 candidates.
The ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front faces its biggest ever challenge in its 34 years of rule from the Trinamool Congress-Congress combine.
The fate of 11 ministers of the Left Front will be decided during the day by over 97 lakh voters in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda districts.
‘There were also complaints of electronic voting machines malfunctioning in two-three booths of some districts. The machines were replaced soon and the poll process is going smoothly. There were no reports of any violence or disturbances,’ said election official Sarkar.
‘Paramilitary troopers are posted in all 12,131 polling booths, of which 1,800 have been identified as critical,’ said Sarkar.
Authorities have deployed 548 companies of central paramilitary forces in the districts to face any eventuality, a police officer said.
Reports from Malda said polling took place under candlelight due to recurrent power cuts in a number of booths. Power cuts were also reported at a few booths of Siliguri constituency in Darjeeling district.
‘But that has not hampered polling,’ Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) Ranbir Kumar told IANS over telephone.
‘There has been no untoward incident so far. Polling is proceeding smoothly and peacefully,’ Kumar said.
Security has been beefed up in all the six districts.
The CPI-M is contesting 32 seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) two, Forward Bloc 10, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) nine, Socialist Party one, Trinamool Congress 26, Congress 27, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) one, and Bharatiya Janata Party 49.
Also in the fray are the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in three constituencies, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in three and Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League in three.
Of the 54 constituencies, 16 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and eight for Scheduled Tribes.
Polling for West Bengal’s 294 seats will be held in six phases. The next phases are April 23 (50 constituencies), April 27 (75), May 3 (63), May 7 (38) and May 10 (14). The votes will be counted May 13.
