West Bengal assembly election 2021: 7th phase of polling for 34 constituencies across five districts today

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: The voting for the seventh phase of the eight-phase West Bengal assembly election 2021 will take place today (April 26, 2021) across 34 constituencies in five districts. The polling will begin at 7 AM and will decide the fate of 284 candidates.

More than 86 lakh electorates, including 42.33 lakh women and 229 third gender persons, are registered to cast their vote, but the total turn out is likely to be affected due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The votes will be cast at over 12,000 polling stations.

Security measures have been heightened in view of the violence in the previous phases, particularly after the death of five people in Cooch Behar in the fourth round of polling on April 10.

The poll panel has deployed 796 companies of central forces in the seventh phase to ensure free and fair voting.

It will also put in place measures to ensure that COVID-appropriate behaviour is followed. This is to be noted that West Bengal on Sunday recorded its highest single-day spike of 15,889 COVID-19 cases that took its total tally to 7,43,950. The death toll also rose to 10,941 after 57 more people succumbed to the disease.

Following the surge in coronavirus cases across the country, the Election Commission has banned roadshows and vehicle rallies in the state and noted that the COVID safety norms were being flouted in West Bengal during campaigning. It also disallowed any public meeting with more than 500 people.

Voting will be held at assembly constituencies each in Murshidabad and Paschim Bardhaman districts, six each in Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda and four in Kolkata.

All eyes will be on the Bhabanipur constituency, of which the incumbent West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, Mamata Banerjee, is the sitting MLA and a resident.

Banerjee, however, has opted for Nandigram to contest the elections this time.

Polling for two assembly seats in Samserganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district has been declared void following the deaths of two candidates there. The EC has fixed May 16 for the polling in these two seats. 

(With inputs from PTI)