Voting begins for 30 seats in 2nd phase of Bengal elections

Kolkata: Polling began for 30 constituencies for the second phase assembly elections in West Bengal at 7 a.m. on Thursday, including the high-profile Nandigram seat.

Voting is underway with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols in nine seats each in Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts, eight in Bankura and four in South 24 Parganas. Long queues were seen outside polling stations where voting will continue till 6:30 p.m. More than 75 lakh voters will decide the fate of 191 candidates in 30 constituencies.

The Election Commission has declared all the 10,620 polling booths as sensitive and deployed around 651 companies of central forces, apart from the state police to provide security.