West Bengal Polls LIVE: Staring at defeat, Mamata abusing me, says Modi

West Bengal election 2021 LIVE updates: Phase 3 voting today. The Election Commission has imposed Section 144 in all the 31 West Bengal assembly constituencies

West Bengal election 2021: The third phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 will take place today, following the polling for the first two phases of the polls held on March 27 and April 1 respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are facing each other, as the Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front has joined forces with Abbas Siddiqui's Indian Secular Front (ISF) to secure their place in the equation.

In Phase 3 of the West Bengal election, 31 seats across three districts — South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Hooghly — will go into polls. The TMC and the BJP are contesting all 31 assembly seats.

Most of the 31 assembly constituencies going for polls today are traditional TMC bastions, as is apparent from the past assembly polls' results.

The Election Commission on Monday described as sensitive all the 31 West Bengal assembly constituencies and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in them.

Stay tuned for West Bengal election 2021 LIVE updates

9:36 PM

Violence, attack on candidates attacked in the third phase of Bengal polls

Five candidates, including two women, were assaulted, while clashes between rival political groups erupted during the third phase of polling in West Bengal on Tuesday.
 

However, despite the violence, voter enthusiasm was high with 77.68 per cent of voters casting their ballots till 5 pm, two hours before polling ended.

Polls were conducted with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols, officials said.
 

Voting in 16 seats in South 24 Parganas district (part II), saw 76.68 per cent votes being cast by 5 pm. While 77.93 per cent votes were cast in seven seats in Howrah (part I) and 79.36 per cent in eight in Hooghly (part I), they added.
 

"Voter turnout of 77.68 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in 31 seats," an EC official said.
 

Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, however, alleged "blatant misuse" of central forces to "influence voters".
 

"The blatant misuse of Central forces continues unabated. Despite us repeatedly raising this issue, @ECISVEEP continues to be a mute spectator, while men in uniform are being misused at several places to openly intimidate TMC voters and influence many to vote in favour of one party," she tweeted.
 

Police arrested five persons -- three members of the TMC and two of the BJP -- for their alleged involvement in assaulting TMC candidate Sujata Mondal in Arambagh earlier on Tuesday, an officer said.
 

Television grabs showed the TMC leader being chased in an open field by people wielding sticks and iron rods and then hitting on the head with sticks. Her security officer was also injured.
 

The TMC claimed that BJP "goons" didn't allow the party's agents inside the polling stations.
 

8:47 PM

Glimpse of Enthusiastic Voters at the Polling queue of Howrah District

7:34 PM

BJP demands independent inquiry from EC after EVMs found in TMC candidate's house

The BJP on Tuesday demanded an independent inquiry from the Election Commission after electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT machines were found in a TMC leader's house in a constituency in West Bengal's Howrah district.

 

Four EVMs and a similar number of VVPAT machines were found at the house of the Trinamool Congress leader in Uluberia constituency following which an election official was suspended by the poll body.

 

Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said it is a serious matter that a day before the polling EVMs and VVPAT machines were found in the TMC leader's house and were confiscated.

7:16 PM

Attacks on TMC and BJP candidates, 5 arrested

Police arrested five persons -- three members of the TMC and two of the BJP -- for their alleged involvement in assaulting TMC's Sujata Mondal, candidate from Arasmbagh, earlier on Tuesday, a police officer said.

 

Police also said they had launched a search for those who assaulted Papiya Adhikary, BJP candidate from Uluberia (Dakshin) assembly seat, when she visited Uluberia hospital to call on an injured party candidate.

 

The attacks were part of a series of clashes which were reported from several parts of Bengal, where polling is underway in the third phase of assembly elections.

6:44 PM

First-time voters showcasing their inked-finger after casting their votes

4:58 PM

Voters in queue to cast their vote in South 24 Parganas District

4:53 PM

PM Modi accuses TMC of 'Bhaipo service tax'

Tape revealing Trinamool's syndicate is discussed in the country. How a construction syndicate developed from New Town. The whole country listened to how 'Bhaipo service tax' made things miserable in many cities of West Bengal including Howrah: PM Modi in Howrah

4:18 PM

LIVE: BJP's Swapan Das Gupta alleges abuse by security forces in Bengal

There is an accusation that a senior police officer is cutting TMC voters here. They've hit many people and abused women with an idea to ensure that people must leave. I find it objectionable that there are West Bengal Police personnel without any name tags: Swapan Das Gupta, BJP

4:17 PM

Watch: PM Modi addresses public meeting at Howrah, West Bengal

3:49 PM

Volunteers allege security staff pushing them out from polling premises

3:19 PM

In West Bengal, polling being conducted in favour of ruling party: Congress

3:18 PM

TMC candidates allege assault by BJP men, saffron party denies charge

Clashes were reported from several parts of Bengal, where polling is underway in the third phase of assembly elections, with TMC candidates Sujata Mondal and Nirmal Majhi alleging that they were heckled and assaulted by BJP workers, a charge denied by the saffron camp.

 

Mondal, who is contesting the elections from Arambagh, said saffron party men chased her and hit her on the head, when she was out visiting polling booths in Arandi area of the constituency, after having received reports that "voters were not being allowed to exercise their franchise".

 

"My bodyguards saved my life... I came to know that BJP members were thwarting people from casting their votes in Arandi. I went there to find out what went wrong. I was assaulted, hit with bamboo sticks by saffron party men," Mondal, estranged wife of BJP MP Saumitra Khan, said.

2:21 PM

PM Modi urges people of Bengal 'Chalo Paltai' - let's make the change

Amidst the third phase of West Bengal Assembly polls on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra coined the slogan "Chalo Paltai" (let us make the change).

 

Addressing a public meeting in Cooch Behar, Prime Minister said, "For 10 years, women, Dalits, backward classes, farmers and tea workers were subjected to injustices, but Didi (Mamata Banerjee), you were just an onlooker. Didi has started a new tax in Bengal - 'Bhaipo Service Tax'! For this reason, today the voice is coming from every corner of Bengal - 'Chalo Paltai, Chalo Paltai' (let us make the change)."

 

"When your party announces that Didi will now contest from Varanasi, then anyone can easily understand that TMC's is going to be faded away. Every day you have to say that you are winning Nandigram. But after the game you played on the polling day in Nandigram, the entire country got to know that you have lost. Didi, your anger, your resentment, your behaviour and your speech describe that you have lost the election," stated Prime Minister Modi.

2:17 PM

Mamata asking Muslims to back her reflects minority votes slipping away: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for seeking en bloc voting by Muslims for the TMC and said had his party made a similar appeal to Hindus, it would have been criticised and censored.

 

Asserting that Banerjee has problems with people sporting a Tilak and wearing saffron, Modi said the TMC supremo's appeal to the Muslims reflects that her "minority votes are slipping out of her hands."

 

Claiming a BJP wave was blowing across West Bengal and his party would form the next government, Modi said Banerjee's angry reactions indicates that she has lost the polls.

1:55 PM

BJP workers chased TMC's Arambagh candidate Sujata Mondal, hit her on head near polling booth: Mamata Banerjee

BJP workers chased TMC's Arambagh candidate Sujata Mondal, hit her on head near polling booth: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee