Over 52% voting in West Bengal Assembly by-poll

Around 52 per cent votes were cast in six hours in the Kanthi Dakshin assembly by-poll in West Bengal on Sunday.

"Around 52 per cent polling has been reported till afternoon," a state Chief Electoral official told IANS.

Polling was peaceful, police said.

The ruling Trinamool Congress has nominated former Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya as the party candidate.

The seat had fallen vacant after the party's sitting legislator Dibyendu Adhikari was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tamluk seat in a by-poll last year.

Bhattacharya had lost from Dum Dum (North) in last year's assembly polls.

Over 2.07 lakh voters, including around one lakh women and one belonging to the third gender, are eligible to choose their representative from among five candidates

The Left Front has nominated Uttam Pradhan of the Communist Party of India (CPI), while Sourindramohan Jana and Nabakumar Chanda are contesting on BJP and Congress tickets respectively.

There are 258 polling stations. Six companies of central forces, and around a thousand state police personnel have been deployed to ensure free and fair polls.