Polling commenced for 152 assembly constituencies across 16 districts in West Bengal at 7 a.m. on Thursday. Voters displayed high enthusiasm, forming queues at polling stations well before the official start time. A two-stage verification process involving central armed police and booth-level officers was implemented for voters.
The polling process had been peaceful overall, although there were reports of electronic voting machine malfunctions at some booths initially. Mock polling, a pre-requisite, faced delays at certain stations due to technical issues with EVM batteries. The 16 districts in the first phase include areas in North and South Bengal, with seven districts under special security monitoring by the Election Commission of India.
Unprecedented security measures were in place for the first phase, with 2,407 companies of central forces deployed alongside webcasting at all polling stations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens, especially the youth and women of West Bengal, to actively participate in the democratic process. The second phase of polling for the remaining 142 constituencies is scheduled for April 29, with results to be announced on May 4.
