impressive-82-voter-turnout-marks-initial-phase-of-polling-in-bengal

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of nearly 82 per cent in the first phase of polling for three Lok Sabha seats in the state, an official said on Saturday.

 

Voting was held in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduars parliamentary constituencies on Friday, amid sporadic incidents of violence.

 

"The voter turnout was 81.91 per cent. We are not sure whether West Bengal's poll percentage is the highest in the country in the first phase of elections as the final figures are yet to be announced in many states. It might be one of the highest poll percentages recorded in the country," an ECI official said.

 

Till 6 pm on Friday, the voter turnout was 82.17 per cent in Cooch Behar, 83.66 per cent in Jalpaiguri and 79.76 per cent in Alipurduars, he said.

 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduars was 84, 86, and 83 per cent respectively.

 

Altogether 56.26 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the three Lok Sabha constituencies.

 

Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri were reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates and Alipurduars for Scheduled Tribes.

 

Thirty-seven candidates were in the fray in the three constituencies where voting continued till 6 pm on Friday.