76.07 per cent recorded in eighth and final phase of Bengal polls

A voter turnout of 76.07 per cent was recorded in the eighth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, the Election Commission said on Thursday. The turnout figure is provisional as it was recorded at 5 pm when voting was still on.

The commission said that "peaceful" polling was concluded across 11,860 polling stations in 35 assembly seats in the last phase of the elections.

Repolling in Amtali Madhyamik Siksha Kendra polling station in Sitalkuchi assembly constituency was also held on Thursday.


Polling was suspended at the centre in Cooch Behar district on April 10 after five people were killed as central forces allegedly opened fire after coming under attack from locals who "attempted to snatch their rifles".

In the eighth phase of the West Bengal polls, 11,860 Ballot Units (BUs), 11,860 Control Units (CUs) and 11,860 VVPATs were used.

"Non-functioning rate of EVMs and VVPATs during the poll was comparable to what was experienced in the last few polls," the commission said in a statement.

One control unit, at least one ballot unit and one paper trail machine makes for one electronic voting machine.

During the West Bengal elections, seizure of Rs 339.45 crore has been reported till Thursday.

The seizure figures, which includes seizure of cash, liquor, narcotics and freebies, is 7.65 times of the total seizure of Rs 44.33 crores in the 2016 assembly polls, the commission said.