Bengal poll: 78.05 % turnout in phase 4, EC says smooth affair

The 49 assembly constituencies in West Bengal which went to polls today in phase 4 of assembly elections recorded 78.05 per cent voter turnout with the Election Commission saying it was a "smooth" affair.

Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission in-charge of West Bengal Sandeep Saxena told a press conference here that the figure of 78.05 per cent was based on text messages sent by poll officers to the Commission at 5 pm "and the percentage is likely to go up when the final figures arrive".

Responding to questions on violence, he said by and large the elections passed of "smoothly" barring "sporadic" incidents of violence. He said in all the cases reported, FIRs have been lodged and "raids were still on" to nab the culprits. A total of 18 people have so far been held, Saxena said.

Referring to poll percentage, he said in the 2011 assembly polls, the turnout in these constituencies was 83.81 per cent and 81.49 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Since the polling in this phase involved some islands, 72 riverine patrols were pressed into service and even poll observers witnessed how these work.