WB records 80 per cent, Assam 70 in 1st phase of Assembly poll

West Bengal and Assam recorded 80 per cent and 70 per cent voter turnout respectively today in the first phase of assembly elections, which the Election Commission said was "by and large peaceful", with no reports of violence-related death or injury.
Though high, the voting percentage was lower than that recorded in the 2011 assembly polls in the same seats. "The figures are till 5 PM. With queues of voters still present outside polling stations, the figures could go up," Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena told a media briefing here.
In the 2011 assembly polls, the voter turnout in West Bengal was 83.72 per cent and 75 per cent in Assam. In the Lok Sabha pols of 2014, the figures in these constituencies were 83.39 per cent in West Bengal and 79 in Assam, he said.

In Assam, 65 of the state's total 126 constituencies went to poll today. In West Bengal, 18 out of 294 constituencies went to polls today in part one of phase one. Part two of phase one will be held on April 11.
Saxena said no deaths or injuries in poll-related violence were reported in the two states.
Responding to questions, he said a total of 16 complaints related to rigging, denial of vote and late start of election were received.
In Assam, 5.27 crore illegal cash was seized upto today in the constituencies which went to polls in the first phase. In West Bengal, the figure stood at 17.36 lakh.