Voting begins for third phase in West Bengal polls

In West Bengal, the third phase voting for 62 Assembly constituencies began this morning at 7 AM. No report of any major untoward incident have been received except, alleged prevention of opposition polling agents by the ruling party activists from Burdwan and Maniktala in Kolkata, during the initial hour of moderate to brisk voting till the reports last came in. Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements for the polling that is underway in Uttar Kolkata and the districts of Murshidabad, Burdwan and Nadia. 

In all, 418 candidates including 70 independents and 34 women are in the fray. 58 candidates for 7 constituencies of Kolkata Uttar, 189 for 22 seats of Murshidabad, 108 for 17 seats of Nadia and 83 contestants for 16 seats of Burdwan districts are trying their luck. Voting is being conducted in 16 thousand 461 polling station, 3 thousand



401 of them sensitive including 324 in Kolkata Uttar. Besides general and Police observers, 3376 micro observers of the Commission are on duty.

In Murshidabad, earmarked as the district with a high number of trouble zones, three Police observers have been deputed. The elections to the 294 seat West Bengal Assembly are being conducted in six voting phases, spread across seven polling days till 5th May. Polling under the 1st phase was held on two days, on 4th and 11th April. The second phase polling was conducted on last Sunday. The counting of all the constituencies will be done on 19th May. 

Stringent security measures have been taken in all polling centre in Kolkata and the 3 districts. More than 700 companies of Central security forces and 25 thousand State police personnel are manning every nook and corner of the election areas.