West Bengal Phase 3 Elections: Nearly 50% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

As of 1 PM, West Bengal has witnessed the highest voter turnout, with 49.27% of registered voters casting their ballots. In contrast, Maharashtra has the lowest turnout so far, recorded at 31.55%.

As per initial reports, Bengal saw a lot of people turning to polling booths, while Maharashtra reported the lowest turnout. The election is taking place in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Notably, the BJP won the Surat seat without any contest.

According to a PTI report, the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal witnessed sporadic incidents of violence in four constituencies. TMC, BJP, and Congress workers clashed in different areas of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats.

All four seats are minority-dominated, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) holding Murshidabad and Jangipur, while the BJP represents Maldaha North, and Maldaha South is represented by the Congress.

In Murshidabad, Left-Congress candidate Mohammed Salim claimed to have apprehended a "fake booth agent" in the Rabinagar area of the constituency. He faced "go back" slogans as he attempted to enter a booth amid allegations of CPI(M) booth agents being harassed by alleged TMC members.

In the Karimpur, clashes erupted between TMC and CPI(M) supporters outside several booths. Similar clashes were reported between TMC and Congress activists in the Domkol area.

In the Jangipur area, BJP candidate Dhanajoy Ghosh encountered protests from TMC members as he attempted to enter certain booths in the constituency.

As of 1 pm, the voter turnout percentages for other states participating in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls are as follows: Assam at 45.88%, Bihar at 36.69%, Gujarat at 37.83%, Karnataka at 41.59%, Madhya Pradesh at 44.67%, and Uttar Pradesh at 38.12%. Additionally, the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu recorded a voter turnout of 39.94% by 1 pm. It's worth noting that the overall voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was over 67%.