Polling for West Bengal fifth phase reports 76.77% voter turnout till 5.23 PM

The Election Commission has decided to deploy at least 853 companies of central forces to ensure free and fair voting

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New Delhi: Six districts in the state of West Bengal will go to polls on Saturday (April 17).This will be the fifth phase of the Assembly elections and votes will be cast for 45 seats in the North and South of the state.

Over one crore voters in West Bengal will decide the political fate of 342 candidates on Saturday, when 45 assembly constituencies go to polls in the fifth phase, amid a raging second wave of COVID-19.

Security measures have been heightened for phase five in view of the violence in the previous phase, which witnessed the death of five people in Cooch Behar, including four in CISF firing.

The phase is crucial for the ruling Trinamool Congress, which is hoping to better its 2016 tally of 32 seats, even as a resurgent BJP looks to make inroads.

Elections have been held in 135 constituencies so far, and the remaining 159 seats are set to go to polls between April 17 and 29.

17 April 2021

17:20 IST

76. 77% voter turnout was recorded at 5.23 PM during the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, as per Election Commission website. 

16:02 IST

62.40% voter turnout was recorded till 3:15 pm during the fifth phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, as per ANI. The voting will continue till 6 pm.