Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 23 : West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC candidate from Bhabanipur assembly constituency Mamata Banerjee on Thursday held a padyatra from Bhowanipur Kansaripara Shitala Mandir to Patua Para Crossing.
The visuals of the Chief Minister's padyatra were shared from her official Facebook page. She also visited the Jain mandir.
Meanwhile, the first phase of polling in West Bengal officially concluded amid tight security arrangements across constituencies at 6 PM.
At the Sersa Stadium polling booth in Kharagpur, polling activity came to a complete halt with no voters remaining in the queue by the end of voting hours. The main gate of the polling station was subsequently closed, marking the end of the day's electoral process.
With the completion of polling, the fate of candidates across all parties in the first phase now remains sealed inside Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), awaiting counting.
Election authorities are expected to begin the process of securing and transporting EVMs to strong rooms under strict surveillance.
The voter turnout surged to remarkable levels by 5 PM on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a massive 89.93% voter turnout rate, according to the Election Commission.
Dakshin Dinajpur led the state with an exceptional 93.12%, followed by Cooch Behar at 92.07%, Birbhum at 91.55%, Murshidabad at 91.36%, and Jalpaiguri at 91.20%. Jhargram (90.53%) and Paschim Medinipur (90.70%) also remained above the 90% threshold, while Bankura recorded 89.91% and Malda 89.56%. Darjeeling, though comparatively lower, still posted a strong 86.49%.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 85.2 per cent, as per ECI's data. The numbers reflect an overwhelming voter turnout across districts, reinforcing West Bengal's consistent trend of high electoral participation.
Polling in the remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal is slated for May 29, and counting of votes will take place on May 4.
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