The high turnout of voters (83.75 per cent) in the first phase of Assembly election in Bengal is being viewed by both the ruling CPI(M) and the Trinamul Congress as a good omen. Encouraged by the huge turnout, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had on Monday said that a tsunami of change had swept across North Bengal.
On Tuesday, she went so far as to claim that the Left Front will not even get 10 of the 54 seats. “Our position was weakest in North Bengal and Left Front’s strongest in the region. But the large turnout of voters clearly suggests that the people have voted for change,” she added.
Interestingly, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat upon his arrival in the city also voiced his happiness over the large turnout of voters. “In the first phase of polling, people came out in large number to exercise their franchise. This is a good sign,” he added.
The final figures of the total polling in 54 Assembly constituencies in six North Bengal districts stood at 83.75 per cent with South Dinajpur registering the highest in the region with 88.49 per cent. “The polling was 85.37 per cent in Cooch Behar, 85.35 per cent in Jalpaiguri, 79.67 per cent in Darjeeling, 81.84 per cent in North Dinajpur, 88.49 per cent in South Dinajpur and 82.24 per cent in Malda,” chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta said on Tuesday. “The total voting in 54 constituencies stood at 83.75 per cent,” he added. Out of 97.42 lakh voters, 81.59 lakh exercised their franchise on Monday.
Meanwhile, two poll personnel died of heart attack on the first day of polling in the state. Giving details of the deaths of polling personnel, Mr Gupta said that both died in Jalpaiguri.
“Pramod Chandra Roy who was working as second polling officer at a polling station in Jalpaiguri died of heart attack. A resident of Madharihat, he was an assistant teacher. Maneshwar Roy was carrying out his duty as the presiding officer in the same district when he suffered a heart attack. He was taken to Alipurduar hospital where he passed away. A resident of Kumargram, he was inspector food and supplies,” he added.