LS polls: Over 81 per cent polling recorded in six seats of West Bengal

Updates: 8:00 pm:81.28 per cent voters exercise their franchise for six Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, according to Election Commission.

6:05 pm:Overall turnout in West Bengal was 78.47 per cent at 5 pm; Jhargram 87.88 per cent; Medinipur 81.45 per cent; Purulia 78.75 per cent; Bankura 80.55 per cent; Bishnupur 85.21 per cent; Asansol 75.47 per cent.

3:45 pm: 73.20 per cent voting registered till 3 pm.

1:49 pm: 48.03 per cent voters exercise their franchise till 1 pm.

11:29 am: 45.8 per cent voter turnout till 11 am. The voting percentage in Jhargram 45 per cent, Mednipur 43.96, Purulia 46.25, Bankura 47.16, Bishnupur 44.42, Asanso 44.23.

9:49 am: An average of 24 per cent voting recorded till 9 am. The voting percentage in Jhargram was 25 per cent, Mednipur 22, Purulia 24, Bankura 26, Bishnupur 24, Asansol 22.

9:17 am: Opposition parties allege of booth capturing and rigging against TMC in Garbeta.

Kolkata: Amidst tight security, voting began on Wednesday for the election to six Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, four of which are located in the former Maoist hotbed of Jangalmahal.

Central forces have been deployed in all the six seats of Jhargram, Binpur, Bandwan, Balarampur, Jaypur and Baghmundi and helicopters, bomb detection and disposal squad and anti-landmine devices have been lined up to maintain security.

Area domination, route marches and flag marches have also been undertaken in the entire region.

The Left Front is under pressure to retain the six seats, Bankura, Jhargram, Purulia, Medinipur, Bishnupur and Asansol, it had won in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, though with a reduced margin.

Of the six, the CPI(M) had won four and Forward Bloc and CPI shared one seat each in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

An electorate of 88,77,071 comprising 46,08,838 men and 42,68,191 women voters and 42 from the other gender will decide the fate of 72 candidates.

One of the most watched constituencies in this phase is Bankura where Basudeb Acharia is pitted against former actress Moon Moon Sen of the Trinamool Congress.

The BJP is likely to be a crucial factor in at least two seats - Asansol and Bankura, and has generated a lot of interest among the electorate.

Polling time has been reduced by two hours in the Assembly segments of Jhargram, Binpur and Bandwan under Jhargram Parliamentary constituency, and Balarampur, Baghmundi and Jaypur under Purulia Parliamentary constituency.

(With additional information from PTI)