Last phase: Overall polling stands at 78.32%, 7 N Kolkata seats see less voting

KOLKATA: Though the overall voting percentage in the last phase of polls held on Thursday stood at 78.32 per cent, polling in the seven Assembly seats in North Kolkata was much less in comparison to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. From over 66 per cent polling during the last Lok Sabha polls, the poll percentage in the seven North Kolkata seats dipped to 59.46 per cent.

Chowrangee recorded a voting percentage of 53.32 against 58.40. Entally had a poll percentage of 67.65 against 72.50. Beliaghata had 62.83 per cent voting against 68.22. Jorasanko saw 49.84 per cent polling against 57.45. Shyampukur had 57.79 per cent polling against 67.11.

Maniktala recorded 62.85 per cent against 70.60 and Kashipur- Belgachia witnessed 59.59 per cent poll against 70.38 in the 2019 Parliamentary elections.

"The COVID pandemic situation may have been a factor behind less polling in North Kolkata. We will do a detailed analysis after the results are out,"a senior official in the state CEO office said.

Interestingly, Birbhum district where the Commission had deployed 225 companies of Central forces — the highest number among the four districts that went to polls on last Thursday, witnessed the highest percentage of polls at 84.04. Malda recorded a voting of 81.66 per cent while Murshidabad registered 81.04 per cent polls.

All the 11 constituencies in Birbhum recorded over 80 per cent polling with Labhpur having the highest percentage of 87.41.

Sainthia constituency registered 85.76 per cent poll while Mayureshwar saw 85.57 per cent.

In the case of Malda where 6 Assembly constituencies went to polls all the Assembly seats registered more than 80 per cent polling except English Bazar, which saw 77.53 per cent voting.

Murshidabad where 11 constituencies went to polls had only two constituencies with less than 80 per cent voting. Kandi had 77,83 per cent polling while Bharatpur had 77.73 per cent polling.