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West Bengal witnessed a surge in voter participation during the first phase of Assembly elections on Thursday, with turnout reaching 89.93 per cent till 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India. Polling began at 7 am across 152 constituencies out of the state’s total 294 seats.

Raghunathganj Leads With Highest Turnout

The Raghunathganj Assembly constituency recorded the highest voter turnout at 95.64 per cent till 5 pm, underlining strong public engagement in the electoral process.

High-Decibel Campaigning Continues

The political contest remained intense, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking sharp aim at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) during a rally in Nadia. He said people in Bengal were angry with the TMC and suggested that the party may struggle to open its account in several areas.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated that she was not interested in any post, asserting that her focus was on ensuring the defeat of the BJP at the Centre.

Sporadic Clashes And Violence Reported

Amid the heavy turnout, isolated incidents of unrest surfaced from multiple pockets. In Budhpur village in Purulia, clashes broke out between villagers and central forces over an alleged electronic voting machine (EVM) malfunction.

In Murshidabad’s Nowda, tensions escalated after a blast injured several people earlier in the day. Workers of the TMC and AUJP were reportedly involved in an altercation, with a video showing AUJP chief Humayun Kabir engaged in a scuffle with TMC workers.

Separately, TMC candidate from Nandigram, Pabitra Kar, alleged that some polling agents were attacked.

“A complaint will definitely be filed. We will certainly lodge a complaint,” he said.

Further updates are awaited as polling concludes and authorities assess the situation.