Moderate to brisk polling in two by-polls in West Bengal

Election Commission sources here said that in both the constituencies polling remained peaceful.

Defying sweltering heat, people queued up in sizeable numbers to cast their votes in Daspur in West Midnapore which recorded around 47 per cent polling till noon, EC sources said.

In Bankura, which is also under the spell of a heat wave, 20 per cent polling was registered till noon, sources said.

Polling personnel were given ORS by the police in view of the intense heat in both the places.

While Daspur has an electorate of 2.48 lakh, Bankura has 2.19 lakh voters.

The by-elections to Bankura and Daspur in the Maoist-hit districts of Jangalmahal and West Midnapur respectively were caused by the death of TMC legislators there.

Kashinath Mishra of TMC had won the Bankura seat last year by defeating the CPI(M) by a margin of 29,090 votes while Ajit Bhunia of the TMC had defeated the CPI(M) in Daspur by a margin of about 25,000 votes.

Kashinanth Misra's wife Minati has been fielded as a candidate by TMC in Bankura while Ajit Bhuniya's wife has been contesting from Daspur as TMC nominee.

The CPI(M) has fielded Samar Mukherjee in Daspur constituency and Nilanjan Dasgupta in Bankura seat.

The BJP too, has fielded its candidates in both the seats.

The Congress, however did not put up candidate in any of the two seats.