New Delhi: A voter turnout of over 78.25 % marked the fifth and penultimate phase of assembly polls in West Bengal where 186 people were arrested in incidents of electoral malpractice and sporadic violence that left at least 15 injured.
Deputy Election Commissioner incharge of West Bengal, Sandeep Saxena, told the media in New Delhi that “based on SMS-based information from polling officers, at 5 PM the voter turnout in 5th phase was 78.25 %.” This is against 82.77 % voting recorded during 2011 assembly elections in the three districts of Hoogly, Kolkata South district and South 24-Parganas that went to polls today.
In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the same area had recorded a polling percentage of 80.22 %, he said. The final figures of turnout on Saturday will be known on Sunday after data compilation.