 "Assembly polls: PM urges people of Bengal, Assam to vote in record numbers")
With polling getting underway for the second phase of assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the voters of both states to exercise their franchise in record numbers.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said: "Second phase of the Assam polls takes place today. Requesting all eligible voters of this phase to strengthen the festival of democracy by exercising their franchise."
"Urging the people of West Bengal in whose seats there is polling taking place today to vote in record numbers," he said in another tweet.
Voters were seen in large numbers, standing in queues at different polling stations in both the states.
In West Bengal, a total of 30 assembly constituencies from the districts of South 24 Parganas, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur are heading in to vote. Out of the 171 candidates in the fray, 152 are men and the remaining are women.
Among these candidates, two are undoubtedly the most prominent figures, that is, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in December last year. Nandigram is all set to witness the most high-profile contest with Mamata and Adhikari taking on each other.
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In Assam, the fate of 345 candidates in 39 constituencies across 13 districts will be decided in this phase. The election in the second phase includes 15 assembly seats in the Barak Valley.
The campaigning for the second phase saw the debate over Citizenship Amendment Act. While the BJP leaders said that they will implement the CAA, Congress has promised to "nullify it".
Voting in Assam will be held till 6 pm while in West Bengal, polling will take place till 6:30 pm.