53.32% turnout till 5 pm in Bhabanipur bypoll where Mamata Banerjee is contesting

Sept. 30: The bypoll in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee contested, saw a relatively moderate voter turnout amidst isolated disturbances, while byelections to two other seats in the State saw a higher turnout.  Ms Banerjee, who lost from the Nandigram constituency in the assembly elections earlier this year, has to win this by-poll to retain the chief minister’s post. She is contesting against BJPs Priyanka Tibrewal. The results of the elections will be out on October 3.

Around 53.32 per cent turnout was recorded in the seat till 5 PM. The Election Commission said that the final turnout till 6 PM will be available on Friday. A high voting rate at 78.60 per cent and 76.12 per cent was recorded in Murshidabad”s Samserganj and Jangipur seats respectively, where polls had to be countermanded during the April-May assembly elections following the death of two candidates.

Bhabanipur, an urban constituency in south Kolkata, has voters from different communities and religions. Ms. Banerjee, who is also a voter of the constituency, cast her vote at Mitra Institution in the afternoon. BJP candidate from Bhabanipur Priyanka Tibrewal raised allegations of electoral malpractices at some of the polling booths. A scuffle broke out between BJP and TMC supporters in Bhabanipur assembly constituency, where voting for the by-poll is underway today. BJP leader Kalyan Chaubey’s car was allegedly vandalised.