The counting has begun for the West Bengal assembly polls, held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, is aiming for a historic fourth term in the state, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking to create history by winning in Bengal for the first time.
With no surprises, polling in Bengal saw several incidents of violence, particularly between workers of rival parties, as well as reports of tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). This led to repolling at 15 booths in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, in Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim, on May 2.
Record voter turnout of over 90 per cent was recorded in West Bengal during both the phases, with a combined voter turnout of 92.47 per cent. The Election Commission received several complaints of EVM tampering during the second phase of polling, with at least 77 complaints received.
Among the key candidates in the West Bengal assembly polls is chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting from Bhabanipur and will face BJP's Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, in a high-stakes battle.
The results for the constituencies of Sitai, Natabari, Mekliganj, and Sitalkuchi are as follows: Sitai - Ashutosh Barm (BJP) leads, Natabari - Giriya Shankar Ray (BJP) leads, Mekliganj - Dadhiram Ray (BJP) leads, and Sitalkuchi - Harihar Das (AITC) leads.
