Kolkata, Apr 23 (V7N) — Voting is underway in the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal, with millions of voters participating in a closely watched political contest.

Voting details

Polling began at 7:00 am local time and will continue until 5:00 pm, with early reports indicating strong voter turnout at polling stations.

In this phase:

  • Around 36 million voters are eligible to vote

  • Elections are being held in 152 constituencies

Key constituencies

Major constituencies drawing attention include:

  • Darjeeling

  • Jalpaiguri

  • Cooch Behar

  • Malda

  • Murshidabad

  • Nandigram

Tight security measures

Authorities have put in place a three-tier security system to ensure peaceful voting. This includes:

  • Deployment of police and security forces

  • Presence of army personnel

  • Aerial surveillance conducted by the Air Force

Pre-election tensions

On the eve of the vote, sporadic clashes were reported in areas such as:

  • Nandigram

  • Dantan

  • Barasat

Several individuals were detained following these incidents.

Overall outlook

Despite isolated tensions, voting is progressing with visible public participation, as the election is seen as a crucial political test in one of India’s most significant states.

END/SMA/AJ