West Bengal Election 2021 updates: Mamata misleading people on COVID vaccination, says JP Nadda

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Mamata Banerjee welcomes Madras HC order

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday demanded the withdrawal of central forces to contain covid spread in West Bengal in the next phase of polling, while welcoming the Madras High Courts observations that the Election Commission could not avoid blame for the spread of Covid.

"I welcome the Madras High Court order, which clearly said the EC cannot escape its responsibility. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EC are responsible for the (current) situation (of Covid spreading in the state)," Banerjee alleged at workers meeting in North Kolkata where party candidates and workers were present.

Earlier on Monday, Madras High Court had lashed out at the Election Commission over the conduct of Assembly polls amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice S Ramamoorthy termed the EC as most irresponsible while hearing a public interest writ seeking directions to ensure fair counting of votes on May 2 in Karur by taking steps to ensure adherence to Covid-19 protocols.

-PTI

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Over 67% of votes polled till 3:30 pm

As per the Election Commission's Voter turnout application, 67.27 percent of voter turnout has been recorded till 3.31 pm in the seventh phase of West Bengal assembly elections.

Here is the district-wise voter turnout till 3:30 pm:

• South Dinajpur 72.58%
• Malda 70.14%
• Murshidabad 72.66%
• West Burdwan 62.42%
• South Kolkata 52.97%

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

BJP candidate's agent detained for molesting women voters in Kolkata

BJP candidate from the Rashbehari assembly constituency Lt Gen Subrata Saha's agent was detained on Monday for allegedly molesting a few women voters inside a polling booth in the city's New Alipore area, police said.

Mohan Rao was detained after several women voters claimed he tried to drag them holding their hands inside Bidya Bharati School, a police officer said.

"We have received a complaint in this regard and a probe is underway," he said.

Rao, however, rubbished the allegations and said no such incident had taken place.

"TMC activists are trying to create disturbance in the area. This is a deliberate attempt to disrupt the peaceful polling process," Saha said. 

-PTI

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

JP Nadda accuses Mamata of misleading people on COVID vaccination

BJP president JP Nadda on Monday accused Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of misleading people of West Bengal on various issues, ranging from "insider-outsider" to Covid vaccination during the campaigning for the assembly elections in the state, reports PTI

Nadda also asserted his party had upheld the culture and legacy of Bengal as against the insulting language adopted by Banerjee against the BJP leadership.

"During the campaign for the eight-phase elections, which comes to an end on Monday, Mamata Banerjee has made all efforts to mislead the people of Bengal and to instigate them using issues like insider-outsider and culture," he said addressing a virtual public meeting here.

The last phase of polling will be held on April 29 and the counting is scheduled for 2 May.

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West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

BJP's Baranagar candidate tests COVID positive

Parno Mitra, BJP candidate from Baranagar in North 24 Parganas, tested positive for COVID-19, The Times of India reported.

Earlier, BJP's Tollygunge candidate Babul Supriyo, CPM's Jadavpur nominee Sujan Chakraborty and TMC's Kamarhati candidate Madan Mitra are among the leaders who were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Three candidates have also died of COVID-19 in the state, while the elections are underway.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Stray violence marks first half of seventh phase of polling

Stray incidents of violence were reported from some areas where voting is underway for the seventh phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal.

A few incidents of scuffle were reported from the Asansol area, where TMC candidate Sayoni Ghosh claimed that BJP activists tried to jam booths in her constituency. The allegation was dubbed as baseless by BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul, who asserted, "Ghosh is making excuses sensing defeat".

Meanwhile, there was commotion in Rash Behari constituency after BJP candidate Lt Gen (retd) Subrata Saha's agent was accused of molesting women voters inside a polling booth, police said. Mohan Rao was detained after several women voters claimed he tried to drag them holding their hands inside Bidya Bharati School, a police officer said. Rao, however, rubbished the allegations and said no such incident had taken place.

In the Jamuria constituency, Left Front candidate Aishe Ghosh alleged that her party agents were stopped from entering the booth by TMC workers, a charge denied by the ruling party.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

TMC candidate alleges being pushed out of polling booth

Trinamool Congress candidate from Rashbehari (Kolkata) Debashis Kumar alleged that he was not allowed to enter many polling booths by central forces, The Times of India reported.

Meanwhile, two BJP polling agents entered a booth in Ballygunge, while the party workers threatened locals and barred the way to a polling booth in Harishchandrapur, according to India Today. Reports also claimed the CRPF was obstructing voters ar polling booths in Gangarampur and Asansol Uttar.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

BJP candidate alleges election code violation by TMC polling agent

BJP candidate from Asansol Dakshin constituency Agnimitra Paul alleged that a Trinamool Congress polling agent was wearing a cap with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's photo on it, at polling booth in Baktarnagar High School.

Paul told ANI that the presiding officer said he was unwell and didn't see the cap. "EC has said that you can't wear anything that has your party's symbol or a political leader's picture. This is Mamata Banerjee's trick. She knows people won't vote for her. Her time is up," she told ANI.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

17.95% voting recorded till 9.45 am

According to figures from the Voter Turnout mobile application, 17.95 percent polling was recorded till 9.45 am in 34 assembly seats. Following is the district-wise voter turnout:

Dakshin Dinajpur - 18.77 percent

Kolkata South - 13.07 percent

Malda - 18.87 percent

Murshidabad - 19.53 percent

Paschim Bardhaman - 17.24 percent

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

TMC's Nusrat Jahan casts vote at Kolkata polling booth

TMC MP Nusrat Jahan cast her vote during the seventh phase of polling in West Bengal. "Why was the Election Commission sleeping all this while? Only when Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided he won't hold any public meetings, the EC decided to call off all public meetings. It listens to the prime minister and home minister more than anyone else," she told ANI.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Keenly-watched contests in Asansol South, Jamuria seats

The battle in the Asansol South seat where Tollywood actor Saayoni Ghosh fielded by TMC will lock horns with fashion designer Agnimitra Paul who is contesting on a BJP ticket is to be watched out for. TMC’s Tapas Banerjee had won from the constituency in 2011 and 2016.

The Jamuria seat in Paschim Bardhaman will also witness an interesting battle as the Left-Congress-ISF alliance has fielded CPM face and JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh from the traditional Left stronghold.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay casts vote in Kolkata

Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Bhowanipore, cast his vote in the 7th phase of polling today. He is contesting from the seat, where the sitting MLA is Mamata Banerjee, after the chief minister left her seat to contest protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram.

He told ANI, "People will vote for Mamata Banerjee, her projects, her development has reached all homes. This election is being held on those issues. I have been in politics since 1962. This is the first time I am voting for myself."

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Narendra Modi urges people to follow COVID protocols while voting

Taking to Twitter ahead of the commencement of polling for the seventh phase of elections in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to exercise their franchise while following COVID-19 protocols.

Amid a surge in cases and an Election Commission direction to hold rallies with less than 500 people in attendance, Modi had cancelled his public address in West Bengal on 23 April.

West Bengal Election LATEST Updates

Voting to be held across 34 seats in 5 districts

The seventh phase of polling in the West Bengal Assembly election will be held today (26 April) amid tight security arrangements and COVID-19 safety protocols.

A total of 86,78,221 voters — 44,44,634 male and 42,33,358 women and 229 from the third gender — are eligible to exercise their franchise in the 34 constituencies spread across Malda (Part I), Kolkata Dakshin, Murshidabad (Part I), Paschim Bardhaman (Part 1) and Dakshin Dinajpur districts.