The first of the five-phased panchayat elections in West Bengal registered a total of 60 percent polling today.
The polls are being held after the Supreme Court refused to reschedule the poll dates which the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government said, 'were clashing with the month of Ramzan'.
The districts that witnessed polling today included West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.
Security was tightened across the three districts with over 48,000 central and state forces being deployed to ensure smooth voting.
Sporadic violence was reported in the first phase of panchayat elections in West Bengal covering three districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.