Voting begins in West Bengal & Assam Assembly Polls

The 18 poll-going constituencies of West Bengal include- nine in Purulia, three in Bankura and six in West Midnapore.

In 13 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected constituencies, polling will end two hours early at 4 p.m.

As many as 40,09,171 electors including 16 transgender voters will exercise their franchise in the first stage which has 133 candidates in the fray.

The staggered six-phase elections for 294 assembly seats are spread over seven polling dates and will continue till May 5.

The other six polling dates are April 11, 17, 21, 25, 30 and May 5.

Meanwhile in Assam the polling will be held in 12,190 polling stations spread across 17 revenue districts of the state located mainly in Upper Assam, north bank of river Brahmaputra and in Barak Valley.

Long queues have been witnessed before most of the polling stations in the state.

A total of 95,11,732 voters, including 45,95,712 females, will decide the fate of 539 candidates, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Titabar constituency, and Bharatiya Janata Party‘s chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal in Majuli.

Out of total 12,190 polling stations in the first phase, 78 are all women polling stations, which are manned by only women officials.

Besides, there are 134 model polling stations, which have the facilities of medical team, eatery, felicitation of eldest voter in traditional manner and getting a tree planted by the eldest voter.

Free toffies will also be given to children accompanying their mothers in these model polling stations.

Assam BJP president and chief ministerial candidate in Assam Sarbananda Sonowal said that the party will win majority of the seats that are going to polls in the first phase.

“We can see that people are craving for a change in the state and I hope they will vote for us for a change,” Sonowal said while speaking to reporters at a polling station at Gormur in Majuli.

Image: Polling personnel inspect EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) at St. Xaviers College in Kolkata, on April 17, 2015. ( IANS)