West Bengal elections 2021: Voting for 7th phase concludes

West Bengal was voting in the seventh phase of polling for assembly elections in 34 assembly constituencies on Monday. Over 86 lakh voters will decide the political fate of 284 candidates. The polling, which started at 7 am on Monday has been concluded.

A total of 75.06% voter turnout was registered in phase seven of the West Bengal Assembly polls, the Election Commission said.

In the seventh phase of polling, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee‘s home turf Bhabanipur was in the fray.

After violence erupted in previous phases, which includes the firing in Cooch Behar in Phase 4 of polling on April 10 that killed five, the Election Commission heightened the security measures. 

At least 796 companies of central forces in the seventh phase were deployed by the poll panel to ensure free and fair voting, an EC official said, reports PTI.

Also read: ‘Should be booked for murder’: Court roasts EC for polls during pandemic

The EC also put in place measures to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols during the voting process, the official said.

West Bengal on Saturday registered its highest-single- day spike of 14,281 coronavirus cases, which took the tally to 7,28,061, and at least 59 more people succumbed to the infection, pushing the toll to 10,884.

Voting was held at 12,068 polling stations spread over nine assembly constituencies each in Murshidabad and Paschim Bardhaman districts, six each in Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda and four in Kolkata, the official said.

Campaigning for the seventh phase had been a low-key affair, following curbs imposed by the EC in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the state.