00:05Great news coming in from Bengal in terms of bumper voting that has taken place.
00:09I'm going to tell you till about 3 p.m. what has been the voter turnout like.
00:1378.77% turnout till 3 p.m. in Bengal.
00:17This is phase 1 of election. Phase 2 is on 29th of April.
00:21Dakshin Deenajpur witnessing maximum voting of 81.49%.
00:25In Nandigram, crucial location, Suvendu Adhikari, 81.30% voter turnout.
00:33Even in Pashim, Medhinepur, it's over 80%. It's 81.07% turnout.
00:38Murshidabad reporting 79.72% voter turnout.
00:42So that's heartening to know.
00:44Even though, remember, there has been a spot of violence that has come in from different areas.
00:49Let me bring in Tapas Sengupta for the latest on this.
00:52Tapas average 78.77%.
00:54But in some areas, it's gone over 80%.
00:57What kind of voters are you hearing about have landed in these queues?
01:00Are there more women, men, young voters? What are you picking up on that?
01:08Well, she's almost 79% voting turnout till 3 p.m. means there's a huge, huge, huge turnout of voters
01:15across West Bengal in the first phase of elections.
01:19We are here in Murshidabad.
01:20What we witnessed in the first half, that it's basically the woman turnout and the senior citizen turnout was overwhelming.
01:28People coming out to cast their mandate.
01:30Even when we reached the first polling booth in the morning, it was around 6.15 people were standing in
01:36queue.
01:36Around 100-odd people were standing for their turn.
01:40As soon as the gate opened, they rushed inside to cast their vote and they stood in line.
01:45And this is a different kind of a voting pattern that we are witnessing right now.
01:50During the afternoon period, we generally don't see massive voting happening due to heat and humidity.
01:56In the second half of the last leg, 4 to 5 and later on till 6, the voter turnout increases.
02:03But here it's very different.
02:05We have seen that voter turnout almost 80%, 79% till 3 p.m.
02:10That means people have voted in large numbers even during the afternoon time, despite having heat waves running,
02:18despite a humid condition, people have come out to cast their mandate.
02:22So it's a very, very different kind of election that we are witnessing.
02:25And obviously, some credit goes to the Election Commission.
02:28They have finally been able to, as it seems, to bring confidence within the voters that due to huge deployment
02:36of security forces
02:37for, say, in Murshidabad district overall, 316 companies of paramilitary forces deployed.
02:43And amidst that, this election is happening.
02:46So people, by and large, what we witnessed in yesteryears, the kind of violence that happens in Murshidabad, Malta,
02:53in other pockets, in Dinajpur, this time around, we are not hearing of such violence taking place
02:59because the deployment of forces have acted as a deterrence.
03:03And that is what panning out in numbers as far as the voters are now.
03:06How has been the situation around in Murshidabad?
03:08But also because the violence that we have seen, especially of BJP's Asun Sol candidate, Agni Mitra Paul's car attack,
03:14Humayu Kabir's car has been attacked as well.
03:16What is the TMC saying about that?
03:23Well, the TMC is obviously not responding to the allegations made by the BJP or even Humayun Kabir.
03:31But we were in Nauda when Humayun Kabir was stopped in the first place
03:36and there was a face-off between the BJP and the Tramul Congress supporters.
03:39Though the supporters of the Tramul was not carrying flags, but the presence of huge forces only acted as a
03:46deterrence
03:47and further avoided to further escalate the situation.
03:51And finally, for the second time around, his car was, his convoy was attacked.
03:55But again, the central forces was there to deal with the situation.
03:59But as far as Asun Sol and Dinajpur, Kumar Gram, these areas are concerned,
04:04these are also known to be very violent during elections.
04:08But this time around, the incidents which have come up, we have been given to understand
04:11that Election Commission have already sought a report.
04:14Their respective parties have already raised complaint against the concerned persons
04:19who were involved in these kind of nuisance.
04:21But as far as Tramul Congress is concerned, they have rejected outright all the allegations coming from their part.
04:26But yes, we haven't seen any Tramul Congress leader or any party leader coming in the forefront
04:32to create any kind of nuisance.
04:33But yes, Humayim Kabir incident here in Murshidabad had sparked a lot of controversy.
04:39But again...
04:39Plus, I bring in Anirban Sinaroy as well.
04:42Anirban, where are you reporting from?
04:43What are the cues like around you?
04:45But the incidents of violence, and some of them are on, literally on camera.
04:48It's not just he said, who said it.
04:50But what are you picking up about the details?
04:52Where are the violent incidents have been reported?
04:55How is the voting turnout around you?
05:01Well, see, the voting has turned around about 80% right now in Murshidabad.
05:06And what we have seen that coming from Birbhum to Malda to Murshidabad as well, we have seen
05:14that lots of violence is going on.
05:17And right now, again, yet again, Humayun Kabir was in the visit to the various booths.
05:23And what we have seen that when Humayun Kabir is visiting various booths in Murshidabad,
05:28in two of his seats, one is Reji Nagor and another is Noda, the people, the Trinamul Congress
05:35supporters, those who are giving slogan to him, Joy Bangla slogan, and various things
05:40like this is happening just in front of several booths.
05:45And as well as right now, what we have seen that there is a massive turnout in the voting
05:50in Bengal.
05:52As 80% poll has already happened within 3 p.m.
05:57And that's another record in the election of the Bengal.
06:02And what we have seen in Murshidabad as well, coming from the Bhorampur seat, which is where
06:09Adhir Ranjan Chaudhuri, the Congress veteran, is fighting, as well as Humayun Kabir, Naudar,
06:14Reji Nagar and Jongipur and every constituency got around 80% polling till 3 p.m.
06:20And likely to be happened that more polling will happen in today's first phase of the
06:27election in Bengal.
06:29And right now, the central forces are also very much scrutinized as they are very much
06:35aware of each and everything and the possibility where the things are unfolding.
06:42On another, there is this kind of violent atmosphere during a democratic practice and that perhaps
06:48is saddening in itself.
06:49Appreciate you joining us, Tapas and Anirvan on updating us what exactly is happening.
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