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Updated April 26th, 2021 at 19:56 IST

West Bengal Phase-7 Elections LIVE UPDATES: 75.06% voter turnout; BJP concludes campaign

As the country grapples with a deadly second COVID wave, 34 seats are set to go to polls in Phase-7 of West Bengal polls on Monday across five districts

PTI
PTI | Image: self
7: 56 IST, April 26th 2021

Voting for the seventh phase of the West Bengal Elections 2021 concludes. Final turnout at 75.06%

6: 03 IST, April 26th 2021

As per Turnout app, voter turnout at 75.06% at 6:00 PM

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6: 03 IST, April 26th 2021

Addressing a press meet in Kolkata, BJP chief JP Nadda said, "Today polling for the 7th phase will end today and campaigning for the 8th phase will end today. Will like to thank the voters of WB for Voting even during the adverse situation. 2021 WB election was an unprecedented and unique election. TMC led by Mamata Didi showed the lowest level of election campaigning.  BJP will say we will give Justice to all and appeasement to none."

He added, "We consider this city as the city of opportunity and it will be the city of 21st century. Our campaign was for positivity and how we can deliver the promises we did. Mamata Didi showed the highest level of immaturity, and now she is threatening the state police as well. In this election TMC said statements against the Dalits and Mamata Didi didn't oppose the statements, and non of her supporting parts did."

Thanking BJP workers for their work, he said, " I thank all the voters of WB as they supported us, I thank all my workers to support and work following the COVID rules, I also thank the media workers for the support.  We have always been proactive and we will deal the COVID situation in WB in the same way. Mamata Didi is full of negativity and she is a support of negative forces. Because Mamata Didi is losing she is blaming the EC."

3: 31 IST, April 26th 2021

As per Turnout app, voter turnout at 67.27% at 3:30 PM

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1: 45 IST, April 26th 2021

 BJP leader and candidate from Asansol Dakshin, Agnimitra Paul has alleged that a TMC polling agent was donning a cap with state CM Mamata Banerjee's picture. Agnimitra Paul stated that the polling agent was present at Baktarnagar High School. Paul further added that the presiding officer claimed that 'He was unwell' and failed to notice it. 

 

1: 41 IST, April 26th 2021

 

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12: 59 IST, April 26th 2021

37.72% voter turnout has been recorded so far until 12.57 pm as per ECI approximations in the seventh phase of West Bengal Assembly elections. 

11: 10 IST, April 26th 2021

21.91% voter turnout has been recorded so far until 11.09 am as per ECI approximations in the seventh phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. 

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9: 33 IST, April 26th 2021

 

9: 21 IST, April 26th 2021

8.08% voter turnout has been recorded so far until 9:20 am as per ECI approximations in the seventh phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. 

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8: 04 IST, April 26th 2021

 

7: 57 IST, April 26th 2021

 

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7: 16 IST, April 26th 2021

 

7: 02 IST, April 26th 2021

 

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7: 00 IST, April 26th 2021

 

7: 00 IST, April 26th 2021

 

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10: 26 IST, April 25th 2021

As the country grapples with a deadly second COVID wave, 36 seats are set to go to polls in Phase-7 of West Bengal polls on Monday. Polling on two seats - Jangipur and Samserganj - has been deferred due to death of two candidates. These two seats will go to polls on May 16, and the results for these two seats will be declared on May 19. The 36 seats are spread across Murshidabad (9), South Dinajpur (6), Malda (6), Kolkata (4) and West Bardhaman (9) districts.

The seats up for grabs are  - Kushmandi, Kumarganj, Balurghat, Tapan, Gangarampur, Harirampur, Habibpur, Gazole, Chanchal, Harischandrapur, Malatipur, Ratua, Farakka, Suti, Raghunathganj, Sagardighi, Lalgola, Bhagawangola, Raninagar, Murshidabad, Nabagram, Kolkata Port, Bhabanipur, Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Pandabeswar, Durgapur Purba, Durgapur Paschim, Raniganj, Jamuria, Asansol Dakshin, Asansol Uttar, Kulti and Barabani. The poll panel has decided to deploy at least 796 companies of central forces at 12,068 polling stations. The TMC chief and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the party MP, cancelled all their scheduled rallies and held them on the virtual platform as did Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23.

Bengal rallies flout COVID norms

With BJP, Trinamool and the Congress-Left alliance entangled in a battle for Bengal, top leaders like PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Choudhury were holding massive rallies and roadshows across the state. Visuals shared by these leaders show massive crowds flouting social distancing guidelines, not wearing masks, cheering as the nation battles a second COVID-19 wave. With experts expressing concern over the lack of any social distancing in these rallies, many have criticised these politicians for sending the wrong message amid a pandemic. Later, EC banned roadshows and cycle, bike, and vehicle rallies and limited public meetings to a maximum of 500 persons for the West Bengal elections.

10: 26 IST, April 25th 2021

Bhabanipur

TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee's bastion is up for grabs as she fields veteran Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay to counter BJP's actor-turned-neta Rudranil Ghosh. With BJP claiming 'Mamata ran away' owing to the saffron party's good performance in Lok Sabha and the seat, TMC minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who has held the Rashbehari constituency since 1998 - when Trinamool split from Congress eyes to retain it for Mamata. Mamata, while campaigning in her hometurf had announced that she will contest only from the Nandigram seat in East Midnapore district, and not from Bhabanipore. Mamata has held Bhabanipore since 2011 after she contested a by-election, defeating CPI(M)'s Nandini Mukerjee winning 77.46% of the votes.

Asansol Uttar

After retaining Asansol in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP eyes to win the seat fielding Krishnendu Mukherjee against 3-time TMC MLA Moloy Ghatak. Asansol MP Babul Supriyo, who has been infected by COVID-19 for the second time, had alleged that TMC goons attacked Mukherjee. Ghatak trounced CPM's Ranu Roy Chowdhury in 2011 and BJP's Nirmal Karmakar in 2016.

Murshidabad

A Muslim-majority constituency, Congress has fielded veteran Niazuddin Sekh to counter turncoat MLA Shaoni Singha Roy who has since then switched to TMC. While Congress, allied with ISF and Left Front eyes  in retaining the Muslim vote in Murshidabad and Malda, TMC eyes to win the seat fielding Roy. She had defeated Forward Bloc's Bivas Chakraborty by a margin of over 6,300 votes in 2011 and retained it in 2016, defeating TMC's Ashim Krishna Bhatta by a margin of more than 25,000 votes.

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10: 26 IST, April 25th 2021

Bhabanipur: Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay (TMC) vs Rudranil Ghosh (BJP) vs Md Shadab Khan (Congress)

TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee's bastion is up for grabs as she fields veteran Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay to counter BJP's actor-turned-neta Rudranil Ghosh. With BJP claiming 'Mamata ran away' owing to the saffron party's good performance in Lok Sabha and the seat, TMC minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who has held the Rashbehari constituency since 1998 - when Trinamool split from Congress eyes to retain it for Mamata. Mamata, while campaigning in her hometurf had announced that she will contest only from the Nandigram seat in East Midnapore district, and not from Bhabanipore. Mamata has held Bhabanipore since 2011 after she contested a by-election, defeating CPI(M)'s Nandini Mukerjee winning 77.46% of the votes.

Balurghat: Sekhar Dasgupta (TMC) vs Ashok Lahiri (BJP) vs Sucheta Biswas (RSP)

In a three-way fight, renowned economist Ashok Lahiri has been fielded by BJP against TMC's Sekhar Dasgupta and RSP's Sucheta Biswas in this Dakshin Dinajpur district seat. Lahiri - the former Chief Economic Adviser who was to be fielded from Alipurduar, but later switched to Balurghat, aims to strengthen the inroads BJP has made in the areas. In 2011, TMC's Chakraborty Shankar had trounced RSP's Biswanath Choudhury while Choudhary defeared Shankar by a slender margin of 1450 votes.

Rashbehari: Lt. Gen Subrata Saha (BJP) Vs Debasish Kumar (TMC)

A TMC bastion in Kolkata, held by Sobhandeb since 1998 will witness a tough battle between TMC's Debasish Kumar and former deputy chief of army staff Lt Gen Subrata Saha (BJP). Lt.Gen Saha - ex-member of National Security Advisory Board has been fielded by the saffron party to stir 'nationalist sentiment' - a key plank since Lok Sabha 2019 polls. On the other hand, Debashish Kumar, known for his groundwork during the COVID lockdown and cyclone Amphan eyes to win the seat for Trinamool. 

Kolkata Port: Firhad Hakim (TMC) vs Awad Kishore Gupta (BJP) vs Md Muktar (Congress)

A sure shot seat for Trinamool in Kolkata will see TMC minister Firhad Hakim face BJP's Awad Kishore Gupta and Congress' Md Muktar. Hakim, one of Mamata's closest aide, won the seat in 2016 with a handsome vote share of 53 percent and retained it in the Lok Sabha polls too. He eyes to retain thsi Muslim-majority seat.

Jamuria: Aishe Ghosh (CPM) Vs Tapash Roy (BJP) Vs Bardhaman Hareram Singh (TMC)

A CPM stronghold from Asansol will see JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh take the poll plunge contesting against TMC's Bardhaman Hareram Singh. Ghosh shot to fame in January 2020, when she and other JNU students were allegedly attacked by ABVP students with the aide of 'masked mob' in the college hostel on a disagreement over student registration for the Winter course. Ghosh, who was probed by the Delhi police sustained a severe head injury and garnered nationwide support from students and celebrities alike. CPM's Jahanara Khan won the seat twice in 2011 and 2016 trouncing the TMC candidate.

Published April 25th, 2021 at 22:26 IST

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