Nearly 80 per cent voter turnout in Phase 2 of WB polls

In a heavy turnout amid reports of sporadic violence, close to 80 per cent of the electorate cast their votes till 5 PM in the election to 56 West Bengal Assembly constituencies in the second phase.
Overall, 79.70 per cent voters exercised their franchise in six districts of north Bengal and Birbhum of south Bengal till 5 PM.
In Alipurduar, 82.07 per cent voting were recorded, in Jalpaiguri 77.69 per cent, Darjeeling 74, North Dinajpur 78.90, South Dinajpur 82.72, Malda 79.60 per cent and Birbhum 82.89.
In seven constituencies of Birbhum, affected by left-wing extremism, polling concluded early at 4 PM as a precautionary measure. Voting went on till 6 PM in the remaining seats.

After compilation and scrutiny, final voting percentage figures will be available tomorrow, sources said.
Controversial Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal, who has been put under round-the-clock surveillance by the Election Commission, faced the ire of the poll panel for not following their instructions.

Two FIRs- one for going out of his constituency despite warning and another one for going to cast vote sporting party symbol on his kurta - are being lodged against him.
Besides sporadic cases of violence, poll boycott call over local developmental issues was also given at a handful of booths in Malda and Birbhum.
"But they were persuaded to vote after which normal polling proceeded," West Bengal's chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta said.

In the second phase, over 1.2 crore electorate will decide the fate of 383 candidates, including 33 women.