Polling underway for fifth phase of West Bengal elections

Kolkata, May 7 (ANI): Polling for the fifth phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal for 38 constituencies is going on today.

The voting, which started at 7 a.m. will continue till 5 p.m.

Voting is taking place in Maoist-hit districts of West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and parts of Burdwan district in which an electorate of 74,17,723 will decide the fate of 193 candidates.

Prominent candidates, whose fate would be decided in this phase, include State Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra and Pradesh Congress President Manad Bhuiya.

The Left Front is contesting all the 38 seats while Trinamool Congress has fielded candidates in 33 and alliance partner Congress in five.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded candidates in all the seats.

Tight security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful polling with deployment of around 600 companies of central paramilitary forces besides state forces.

Besides 20 general observers, seven expenditure and four Police observers are constantly monitoring the situation.

Of the six phased elections in West Bengal, four have been completed on April 18, 23, 27 and May 3.

The fifth phase will take place on May 7, and the sixth on May 10. (ANI)