West Bengal Election 2021: The voters will choose among 283 candidates, 35 of whom are women. (File)
New Delhi: The eighth and final phase of voting is being held in Bengal today amid the growing menace of Covid that is spreading fast in the state. The election is being held on 35 seats lying across Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Kolkata.
Here are top 10 points to this big story:
Six seats in Malda, 11 each in Murshidabad and Birbhum and seven seats in Kolkata are voting in this phase. Polling is being held across 11,860 centres. The voters will choose among 283 candidates, 35 of whom are women.
Two ministers Shashi Panji and Sadhan Pande - are seeking re-election in this phase. All eyes are on Birbhum district, which has a history of poll-related violence.
According to the chief electoral officer, the Phase 5 of the Bengal election was comparatively peaceful. As polls continued across 45 constituencies, a total of 123 people, including an independent candidate, were arrested by the cops.
TMC writes to EC over released audio tape of CM Mamata Banerjee, calls it illegal, violation of priv
TMC writes to EC over released audio tape of CM Mamata Banerjee, calls it illegal, violation of privacy
Trinamool Congress claims recording of calls were illegal under multiple acts, and it was done at the behest of the BJP.
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A file picture of the Election Commission of India
Trinamool Congress has written to the election commission over audio tapes of Mamata Banerjee and her Cooch Behar party leader Partha Pratim Ray, which were made public by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday.
Bengal Election Live Updates: Mamata Banerjee assures justice to families of poll violence victims i
12:29 PM IST: The family members of those killed in Sitalkuchi violence said they trust Mamata Banerjee. Didi came to meet us here and said that she would help us as soon as the election ends. She consoled and gave us hope. We trust her, the family members of those killed in Sitalkuchi violence said.
11:40 AM IST: Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said whoever is guilty of poll violence in Cooch Behar will be punished. She also met the families of the Sitalkuchi firing victims and the grandfather of slain first-time voter Anand Burman. She said she has no public meeting in Mathabhanga but had gone to visit the families of the victims. One victim s wife is pregnant. One victim s wife has a young kid. Whoever did this, we will bring them to justice. They restricted me for 72 hours otherwise I could have come previously. The Bengal govt will support all victims of political violence inclu
Read more about Bella Ciao to Khela Hobe : Bengal Election campaign takes a quirky turn on Business Standard. In the run-up to the election, even as political mercury is on the rise, the state is feeling the heat in another rather refreshing way - an unprecedented battle of songs