West Bengal bypolls 2022 live updates: Elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling hills and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad in north Bengal passed off peacefully on Sunday, with a turnout of 57 per cent and 78.30 per cent, respectively, officials said. Polling for the GTA, the semi-autonomous council that governs the Darjeeling Hills, were held after a decade marked by a series of changes in the region's political dynamics.
Voting for GTA, which began at 7 am, continued till 4 pm, while in Siliguri, the exercise came to a close at 5 pm, they said.
"Polling has been peaceful and no untoward incident was reported. Till 4 pm, GTA recorded around 57 per cent turnout. At Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, the percentage stood at 78.30 per cent. The figures might slightly go up as there were people still in queue," an official said.
GTA, which came into being in 2011, has 45 seats spread across Kalimpong district and parts of Darjeeling district. Voting is being held in 922 polling stations, of which five have been identified as critical.
Traditional hill parties such as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), besides the BJP, have boycotted the semi-autonomous council elections.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.