Indian Lok Sabha Elections Phase 6: West Bengal records 36.88% voter turnout by 11 am | Latest News India

By 11 am, voter turnout in West Bengal stood at 36.88 per cent. In the sixth term of the Lok Sabha elections. Follow Live Updates

Polling in eight constituencies — Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur — will begin at 7 am and will conclude by 6 pm.

According to the Election Commission, Ghattaru had the highest voter turnout till 11 am at 39.21 percent, followed by Jhargam at 38.24 percent, Tamluk at 38.05 percent, Kanti at 38.03 percent, Bishnupur at 37.98 percent, Bankura at 35.84 percent and Medinipur at 34.41 percent. Purulia constituency has the lowest turnout so far at 33.16 percent.

A total of 14,534,228 voters, including 7,363,273 men, 7,170,822 women and 133 persons belonging to the third gender, will be able to exercise their vote at 15,600 polling stations in the state, PTI reported.

There are 79 candidates in the race, with Bankura and Jhargram having the highest number of candidates with 13 each. The next highest are Purulia, followed by Medinipur and Tamluk with nine each, and Boshnupur and Ghattal parliamentary constituencies with seven each, totalling 12 candidates.

Key candidates in West Bengal include Bengali superstar Dev, who is seeking his third term as TMC MP from Ghattal, former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay from Tamluk, Union Minister Subhas Sarkar from Bankura and BJP MP and fashion designer Agnimitra Paul, who will face off against TMC state MP and actress June Maria in Medinipur.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal electoral office said it had received 364 complaints by 9 am, PTI reported, but election officials said there had been no reports of any “untoward” incidents during voting so far.

919 companies of central forces have been deployed across the state, with the state police strength exceeding 29,000.

(With inputs from PTI)