West Bengal Assembly Elections: Campaigning for second phase ends, voting on April 1

A total of 171 candidates are in fray in the upcoming phase which will see 30 constituencies across four districts go to polls.

Kolkata: Campaigning for the second phase of West Bengal assembly elections ended on Tuesday (March 30) evening.

The 48-hour silence period came into force before the voting which is set to take place on April 1.

A total of 171 candidates are in the fray in the upcoming phase which will see 30 constituencies across four districts go to polls.

The total number of voters who will exercise their franchise stand at 75,94,549. Polling will be conducted in 10,620 booths, according to Election Commission.

All the booths where polling will be held in the second phase have been declared as "sensitive" by the EC, PTI said quoting sources.

The EC will deploy total 651 companies of Central Armed Police for this phase of election which will be held in Bankura (Part II), Purba Medinipur (Part II), Paschim Medinipur (Part II) and South 24 Parganas (Part I), sources said.

A total 199 companies of CAPF will be deployed in Purba Medinipur, 210 companies in Paschim Medinipur, 170 in South 24 Parganas and 72 in Bankura, they added.

On the final day of campaigning, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held roadshows with actor Mithun Chakraborty in support of Adhikari in Nandigram.

TMC Chief  Mamata Banerjee also addressed multiple rallies at several venues.

Banerjee on Tuesday urged the voters in Nandigram to maintain their cool and cast their votes to her party Trinamool Congress on the day of the polling.

“During the election, cast your votes peacefully. Keep in mind, 'cool cool Trinamool, thanda thanda cool cool, vote pabe joda phool'. Keep your mind cool for 48 hours,” the West Bengal CM said in Sona Chura, Nandigram.

Counting of votes for the ongoing elections will be done on May 2.