West Bengal Assembly election: 90% voter turnout recorded till 5:00pm
What's the story
The second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections recorded a voter turnout of 89.99% till 5:00pm according to data from the Election Commission. The Purba Bardhaman district led with an impressive turnout of 92.46%, followed by Hooghly (90.34%), Nadia (90.28%), Howrah (89.44%) and South 24 Paraganas. South and North 24 Parganas also witnessed turnouts of 89.74% and 89.57%, respectively, during this phase of voting.
Election timeline
Exit polls to be released after polling ends
Exit polls will be released after the polling ends at 6:00pm. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. The first phase of the election was held on April 23 across 152 seats in West Bengal, with a record polling of 93.2%. The main battle is between the TMC, which has been in power since 2011, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
ECI
ECI's arrangements for free and fair polls
The Election Commission had made elaborate arrangements for free and fair polls. Over 8,000 polling stations were managed entirely by women. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, said they are "more prepared for the second phase of elections compared to the first phase." Almost 2,400 companies of CAPF were also deployed to maintain peace and security this time.