Over 18.29 pc turnout by 9 a.m. in third phase of WB polls

The third phase of polling in West Bengal on Thursday witnessed 18.29 percent electorates casting their votes by 9 a.m.

Voting for 62 assembly constituencies in West Bengal is underway.

The people queued up in large numbers outside the polling booths to cast their votes. A differently-abled person was among those who cast his vote at St. Paul's Cathedral College.

The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements for the polling that is underway in North Kolkata and Murshidabad, Burdwan and Nadia districts of West Bengal.

418 candidates, including 70 independents and 34 women, are in the fray in this phase. 58 candidates for seven constituencies of North Kolkata, 189 for 22 seats of Murshidabad, 108 for 17 seats of Nadia and 83 contestants for 16 seats of Burdwan districts are trying their luck.

Voting is being conducted in 16,461 polling stations, 3,401 polling stations, including 324 in North Kolkata, have been declared sensitive.

Besides general and police observers, 3,376 micro observers of the Election Commission are on duty.

The elections to the 294 assembly seats in West Bengal are being conducted in six voting phases, spread across seven polling days till May 5.

The counting of votes will be done on May 19.