Record Participation in Kolkata's Fifth Phase Elections

Over 62% turnout marks the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls in Kolkata, with Arambag leading at 67.12%. High security and active participation underscore the importance, as 88 candidates vie for positions. A significant number of poll-related complaints were registered, highlighting the electorate's engagement.

A total of 62.72 per cent of the 1,25,23,702 electorate cast their vote till 3 pm in seven Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal that went to polls in the fifth phase on Monday, an Election Commission official said.

The Arambag (SC) parliamentary constituency registered the highest polling at 67.12 per cent followed by Uluberia at 66.45 per cent, Hooghly (65.01 per cent), Sreerampur (63.05 per cent), Bangaon (SC) (61.83 per cent), Howrah (58.81 per cent) and Barrackpore (55.34 per cent), he said.

Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm.

Till 1.15 pm, the Chief Electoral Office (CEO), West Bengal, received 1,399 poll-related complaints, he added.

The electorate comprising 63,51,320 men, 61,72,034 women and 348 belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise across 13,481 polling stations.

The commission has designated over 57 per cent of the polling stations as sensitive and deployed over 60,000 personnel of central forces, in addition to around 30,000 policemen.

The number of security forces deployed for this phase surpasses any of the earlier four phases in the state.

A total of 88 candidates are in the fray in the fifth phase, with the highest number of 15 nominees in Bongaon, where Union Minister Shantanu Thakur is contesting against TMC's Biswajit Das.