Kolkata/Chennai, April 23 (IANS) West Bengal had a voter turnout of 61.18 per cent, while Tamil Nadu had 56.81 per cent by 1 p.m. as polling for the Assembly elections was ongoing, according to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Polling began for 152 assembly constituencies scattered over 16 districts of West Bengal from 7 a.m. on Thursday in the first phase of the two-phase crucial Assembly polls.

Voter enthusiasm for the elections appeared to be quite high this time, as long lines were seen in front of several polling stations.

The 16 districts where polling is being held in the first phase on Thursday are Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, and Malda in North Bengal, and Murshidabad, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, West Burdwan, and Birbhum in South Bengal.

The second phase of polls in West Bengal for the remaining 142 assembly constituencies will be on April 29. ​

A total of 635 complaints were registered with the ECI till 11 a.m. regarding the polling in the first phase of elections covering 152 Assembly constituencies in 16 districts

Of the 635 complaints registered with the ECI, 260 have been submitted physically to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), while another 375 have been submitted through the C-Vigil app.

Meanwhile, polling for the high-stakes Tamil Nadu Assembly elections across all 234 constituencies also began at 7 a.m., with over 5.73 crore eligible voters set to decide the fate of 4,023 candidates in a fiercely contested four-cornered battle.

The electoral contest primarily features the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), making this one of the most competitive elections in recent years.

Voting commenced early in the morning, with voters seen queuing up in large numbers at polling booths, reflecting strong public enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process.

With voter turnout expected to play a decisive role, political parties are closely monitoring polling trends across constituencies.

The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, when the electoral verdict will determine the next governments in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

–IANS

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