Kolkata, April 23: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee, led a padyatra on Thursday, walking from Bhowanipur Kansaripara Shitala Mandir to Patua Para Crossing. The event was shared through her official Facebook page, showcasing her engagement with the locals. During the padyatra, she also visited the Jain Mandir.
Meanwhile, the first phase of polling in West Bengal officially concluded at 6 PM, with tight security arrangements in place across the constituencies. At the Sersa Stadium polling booth in Kharagpur, the process wrapped up with no voters in the queue by the close of voting hours. The polling station gate was closed, marking the end of the day's electoral proceedings. With voting now over, the fate of candidates across various parties is securely locked in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), awaiting the counting process.
Election authorities are preparing to transfer the EVMs to strong rooms, ensuring strict surveillance during the process. As of 5 PM on Thursday, voter turnout reached an impressive 89.93%, according to the Election Commission. Dakshin Dinajpur led the way with a remarkable 93.12% turnout, followed by Cooch Behar at 92.07%, Birbhum at 91.55%, and Murshidabad at 91.36%. Jalpaiguri also posted a strong turnout of 91.20%. Other districts such as Jhargram (90.53%) and Paschim Medinipur (90.70%) surpassed the 90% mark, while Bankura (89.91%) and Malda (89.56%) were slightly lower. Darjeeling, though relatively lower at 86.49%, still saw solid participation.
In comparison to the 2021 Assembly elections, where West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 85.2%, this phase demonstrates a continued trend of strong electoral participation. The second phase of voting for the remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal is scheduled for May 29, with vote counting set for May 4.
