New Delhi/Assam/West Bengal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged people to cast votes in record numbers as polling began in the morning for the first phase of assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam.
“The first phase of elections begin in Assam. Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote.
“Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers,” he tweeted.
Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021
The BJP hopes to retain power in Assam and defeat the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. Assam and Bengal will have three-phase and eight-phase elections, respectively. The counting of votes will be on May 2.
Voting began at 7 am on Saturday for 47 seats in the first phase of the assembly elections in Assam to decide the fate of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and a host of ministers and opposition leaders, officials said.
Altogether 264 candidates, including 23 women, are in the fray in the first phase, they said.
A total of 300 companies of security forces have been deployed in the first phase, in which people are voting at 11,537 polling stations across 12 districts of Upper Assam and the Northern Bank of Brahmaputra.
Patrolling has been intensified and strict vigil is being kept in all the vulnerable areas, officials said.
Most of these 47 seats are witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling BJP-AGP alliance, the Congress-led opposition grand alliance and the newly-formed Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).
The ruling BJP is contesting 39 seats and its partner AGP 10. The two allies are engaged in “friendly contests” in Lakhimpur and Naharkatiya constituencies.
The opposition grand alliance is contesting all the seats, with the Congress putting up candidates in 43, and the AIUDF, CPI(ML-L), RJD and Anchalik Gana Morcha (contesting as Independent) in one each.
The newly-formed AJP is in the fray in 41 seats, while there are 78 Independents, including 19 candidates of the newly-formed Raijor Dal.
While polling began at 7 am for the 30 seats in the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal amid tight security, officials said.
More than 73 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 191 candidates in these seats, most of which are located in the once-Naxal-affected Jungle Mahal region.
The elections, which will continue till 6 pm, are being held amid tight security with the Election Commission deploying around 730 companies of central forces, guarding 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.
The Trinamool Congress is contesting 29 of the 30 seats, while supporting an Independent in the Joypur assembly segment in Purulia as the nomination of its official candidate Ujjwal Kumar was rejected by the EC due to a discrepancy.
The BJP is also contesting 29 seats and backing ally AJSU Party of Jharkhand in Baghmundi.
The Left-Congress-ISF alliance has put up candidates in all 30 seats, even as there are “friendly fights” in some.
West Bengal has been caught in the throes of violent political clashes between the TMC and BJP supporters which have claimed several lives on both sides over the last few days, prompting the Election Commission to deploy such a massive number of central forces.
Total 73,80,942 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase. Of them, 37,52,938 are male and 36,27,949 female, while there are 55 third gender voters.
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