82% voting in West Bengal Assembly by-poll

Close to 82 per cent votes were cast in the Kanthi Dakshin assembly by-poll in West Bengal on Sunday.

"As per reports received, close to 82 per cent polling has been reported till 6 p.m. But the figure will go up, as we are yet to receive reports from all the parts," a source in the state Chief Electoral Officer's office told IANS.

Polling was peaceful, police said.

The ruling Trinamool Congress nominated former Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya as the party candidate for the constituency in East Midnapore district.

The seat had fallen vacant after the party's sitting legislator Dibyendu Adhikari was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tamluk seat in a by-poll last year.

Bhattacharya had lost from Dum Dum (North) in last year's assembly polls.

Over 2.07 lakh voters, including around one lakh women and one belonging to the third gender, were eligible to choose their representative from among five candidates

The Left Front nominated Uttam Pradhan of the Communist Party of India (CPI), while Sourindramohan Jana and Nabakumar Chanda were contesting on BJP and Congress tickets respectively.

There are 258 polling stations. Six companies of central forces, and around a thousand state police personnel were deployed to ensure free and fair polls.

--IANS

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