- 15 hours ago
Phase one of the elections in West Bengal witnessed a record voter turnout, with over ninety-one percent and Tamil Nadu crossing eighty-four percent.
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00:08I'm Preeti Chaudhary and what a day Bengal has had latest news break coming in it's been
00:13bumper voting for the state of Bengal to take you to the figures never seen before in terms
00:19of voting 91.5% turnout recorded in Bengal in phase one alone.
00:26Nandi Graham has recorded 91.62 which is more than the state average where the voter turnout
00:34comes into question even Tamil Nadu has broken its record 84.4% voter turnout in Tamil Nadu
00:41with 92% in Karur which is which has seen maximum voter turnout like I said what a day it
00:50has been
00:50for both states I'm in West Bengal phase one over and now the focus shifts on phase two.
00:56But 152 seats 16 districts went to vote today and for now it's broken all records.
01:05Bumper is an understatement many would suggest traditional sophology would suggest that a high
01:11voter turnout is signaling anti-incumbency but it's happened in the past where you have the incumbent
01:18there's been a high voter turnout and it's been in vantage the incumbent as well so we don't quite
01:23know what the numbers really mean. It's that proverbial night before the political storm first phase has ended
01:31bumper voting across 90 percent 91.3% is what is the current figure.
01:39You might add even a percentage or two to it by the time we get an actual figure but this
01:43is unprecedented
01:44where the first phase of polling 152 seats have polled across 16 districts.
01:50Now focus shifts to the second phase. Who does this voting percentage favour?
01:58Well we'll only know when that last vote is counted come the 4th of May.
02:07Ballots and brawl outs. Bengal went to vote under the shadow of violence once again.
02:13As phase one of polling was underway the familiar specter of clashes and chaos returned to haunt the electoral
02:21battlefield. The biggest flashpoint Murshidabad. Clashes intensified after a mob attacked AJ-UP chief and Nauda candidate
02:32Humayun Kabir's car pushing the situation to the brink. Kabir came under attack during a sit-in protest.
02:38Dramatic visuals showed mobs some carrying TMC flags chasing his vehicle raising serious questions over law and order
02:47in this crucial district. He hit out fiercely accusing the TMC goons of spreading fear on poll day and alleging
02:55local police complicity.
02:57He claims central forces failed to step in and that even women and children were caught in the violence.
03:28The violence, he says, stemmed from the aftermath of a crude bomb attack in Nauda on the
03:34eve of polling.
03:45And it's not just Murshidabad. In South Dinajpur's Kumar Ganj, BJP candidate Chubhendu Sorkar was allegedly assaulted at a polling
03:54booth after raising booth jamming allegations.
03:57Police had to step in and rescue him and he was forced to flee the scene.
04:02That's why it was so happened.
04:07At the same time, I am exhausted our team
04:10and he was hurt.
04:12The 3rd police inside the meeting was attacked on the front of the camera.
04:17The 3rd police said that he was pissed.
04:18The 3rd police signed the name of their child and the 2nd police signed the 21st police gym.
04:19The 4th police attacked him and the 4th police issued their death.
04:23The police charged the 4th police said that he was not attracted to us.
04:27In Asan Sol, BJP candidate Agni Mitra Paul's car got attacked too.
04:32According to her, the incident occurred in Varanpur's Rehmat Nagar while she was inspecting polling booths.
04:38As she was leaving the area, a stone was allegedly hurled at her vehicle from behind, shattering the rear glass.
05:04In Birbhum, Slavpur, a BJP booth agent, Bishwajit Mondal, was allegedly attacked and suffered a head injury during voting.
05:13The injured agent was rushed to a local health center for treatment.
05:29In other high-stakes battleground Nandigram, LOP's Vindu Adhikari, after casting his vote, launched a blistering attack on the state
05:37government,
05:38claiming Hindus in Bengal are upset, even citing distress calls from women voters.
06:02High turnout, higher stakes and an even higher pitch of political confrontation.
06:08As Bengal votes, the battle for power is unfolding, not just through ballots, but amid allegations, clashes and a deepening
06:17war of narratives.
06:19Bureau Report, India Today.
06:23Alright, while I'm standing in front of the stunning Victoria Memorial, I'm joined by three of my colleagues who've been
06:29reporting through the course of the day.
06:30We've all been spread out, trying to figure, trying to gauge how the first phase of polling has gone down.
06:36Joining me right now, Indrajit Kundu, our West Bengal Bureau Chief, he's joining me from Kolkata.
06:43I have with me Piyush Mishra, who's joining me from Havra, and Tapas and Gupta from Murshidabad.
06:49Indro, coming to you first, what are you picking up from both sides of the political divide on the first
06:53phase of polling?
06:54What we do know, the numbers have been unprecedented, but it was also expected, especially after the SIR, that there
07:01will be bumper voting.
07:03Both sides seem to be claiming it's in their favour.
07:10Well, that's right.
07:11You know, political parties will, you know, design the rhetoric that favours them.
07:15But, you know, I'm not surprised at the number, you know, or the bumper voter turnout that we've seen today.
07:22It's not unexpected.
07:23In West Bengal, you always see high voter turnout.
07:26But this time, it's beyond that.
07:29That's why it looks unprecedented, because you have to also understand that the past three months, what we have seen
07:36in West Bengal is also an unprecedented revision of the electoral roll,
07:41which has not happened in the electoral history of independent India in any other state.
07:46So we have to keep that in mind.
07:49Preeti, there are two takeaways for me, you know, after today's visit to Nandigram, what I saw on the ground,
07:55and I've been talking to a lot of people in other districts as well.
07:58I believe that the Muslim vote, as far as West Bengal is concerned, you know, there seems to be some
08:04sort of a panic reaction among voters,
08:06and especially among the minority Muslim community.
08:09So that will play a very, very important role.
08:12I personally believe that that will consolidate, it is likely to consolidate once again with the Trinamul Congress, so that
08:19will give them an edge.
08:20The other takeaway from this election, of course, the first phase, is that the anti-incumbency, the sentiment against the
08:27Trinamul Congress government is much higher than what it was in 2021.
08:31So that is an advantage to the BJP.
08:34So, you know, it's as it is, Bengal elections are very difficult to predict, and it's become furthermore difficult because
08:40there is no dipstick,
08:41because the SIR has just concluded and we are right into these elections.
08:45But these are the two pulls that I can see in this election.
08:48On one hand, Muslim vote consolidation that gives the Trinamul a starting edge.
08:53On the other hand, they are facing very stiff anti-incumbency, especially in urban and semi-urban areas.
09:00So how these two factors balance them out and also the deletions, please take that into account.
09:05It's going to be a fascinating, fascinating election result once it comes out on May 4th.
09:14Well, in that, you throw the fact that nobody quite knows how SIR deletions are going to play out.
09:20So that's something else in the mix.
09:22Indra, stay with me.
09:22I want to cut across to my colleague Tapush, who's joining us from Murshidabad, and then we'll go to Piyush.
09:28From Havda Tapush, you've had a bit of quite an eventful day because even though,
09:36okay, we don't seem to have Tapush, we're going to try and connect to him in a short while,
09:39but let's cut across to Piyush, my colleague joining us from Havda.
09:43Piyush, you've been tracking the BJP's campaign very closely, and for a moment, let's just focus on that.
09:48The BJP today will have us believe the bumper voting turnout has come out in their favor.
09:54Even though now traditional cephalogy might have said that high voter turnout favors the challenger and is adverse to the
10:03incumbent,
10:04but recent elections have proven that otherwise.
10:06Having said that, what is the BJP think tank, what is the BJP war room right now calibrating in terms
10:14of the 16 districts and 152 seats that have gone to vote?
10:23Well, Preeti, one thing is clear that I have not seen this constant BJP in the last looks of our
10:30assembly elections.
10:32We were also talking to various leaders of BJP where they are of the view that this time we are
10:37going to cross the,
10:38we are not only going to cross the majority mark, but also form the government with 170 plus seats.
10:45And this, you know, conference somewhere indicating that a lot of groundwork has been done by Bharatanja and the party.
10:52No doubt that, yes, SIR has an effect on the ground.
10:56Why? Because our people are also impressive about the fact that if they do not vote,
11:00then they are going to lose their, you know, their right to vote from the next elections.
11:05But as far as the BJP is concerned, it is riding on the anti-incumbency wave against Mumtab Energy.
11:11It is also of the view that this time people will vote for corruption-free and hooliganism-free government.
11:19We also saw a post which was put out by Homeless Amit Shah where he said that the son of
11:26TMC has now set the era of hooliganism and corruption will now come to an end.
11:33And so this shows the kind of context which BJP is enjoying.
11:37In fact, they are also saying that Mumtab Energy is also going to lose by a huge margin.
11:42Now we'll have to see how the people are going to look into the kind of promises, claims, counterclaims,
11:48which have been made by either sides, either by TMC or by BJP.
11:53I have just come out after covering the roadshow of PM Narendra Modi.
11:57And after the first phase, now BJP is giving a big push for the second phase by organizing around two
12:05big roadshows of PM Narendra Modi.
12:07Today it was in Havra.
12:08Then it will be in Kolkata on April 26th.
12:11So BJP is now trying to put a lot of efforts to ensure that it is able to form the
12:15government.
12:15And if this time BJP is able to form the government, then it will be the first time Bharat Ke
12:22Vichar Wali government.
12:23That's what the top leaders of BJP believes.
12:26Okay.
12:27All right, so that's what the BJP says.
12:30Let's get in a word from Tapash.
12:31I believe we have him.
12:32Tapash, you've had an eventful day in Murshidabad.
12:35There have been sporadic incidents of violence across West Bengal.
12:38Sadly, pole violence in West Bengal ever since 1977 have gone hand in hand.
12:44Things have settled in Murshidabad.
12:46Tapash, what are you picking up?
12:48Well, see, as far as Murshidabad is concerned,
12:50I've been traveling length and breadth across the district since the last few months.
12:55What I could make out today, yes, SIR remains to be one of the main reasons for a very, very
13:00high voter turnout.
13:02Because we have seen a huge number of migrant laborers who work in other states have come back home,
13:09have taken a leave of one or two days just to cast their mandate, just to cast them a vote.
13:14They have come back because they are a little in kind of anxiety that if they do not cast a
13:21vote this time around,
13:22what would happen to their electoral role, their names in electoral roles in days to come,
13:27is a kind of an anxiety that's working within their hearts and minds.
13:31And secondly, what we have seen, that huge deployment of central paramilitary forces
13:38have given some kind of a confidence within the hearts and minds of common people.
13:43Since very early, around 6.15 in the morning, we had seen a queue of people standing outside different polling
13:50booths,
13:51and especially the turnout of women and senior citizens were notable.
13:55When I spoke to a lot of them, they say, no, we are going to cast our mandate,
13:59irrespective of what be the result on the 4th, but we have our rights and we want to exercise that.
14:04And moreover, they have categorically stated that since there's a huge number of forces deployed everywhere,
14:11hence they do not fear anything this time around.
14:14So it's what we are witnessing about the turnout is because of the fact that the election commission have ensured
14:22that Murshidabad remains calm and violence-free,
14:25because the history of Murshidabad have time and again showed a bloody election day.
14:31But this time around, apart from the incident of Humayun Kabir,
14:35we had seen by and large Murshidabad have remained calm and violence-free.
14:41So this confidence was there because the confidence-building measure was being slowly being gathered
14:49by the election commission and through the area domination of the central forces
14:54in volatile areas like in Reji Nagar, in Nauda, in other places as well.
15:00So keeping that in mind, people will be a bit confident that this time around they can come out
15:04and cast their mandate and there will be a violence-free election
15:08and that's what exactly transpired at the end of the day.
15:10Priti.
15:15All right, Tapish, coming right back to you.
15:17I believe we've got some breaking news that has just come in.
15:20Let's take our viewers through that.
15:22CEC Gyanesh Kumar has hailed the bumper turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
15:26That's the latest news coming in.
15:28Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal Tamil Nadu since independence.
15:32The ECI solutes the voter is what Gyanesh Kumar is saying.
15:36Well, Gyanesh Kumar has been quite a controversial figure off late,
15:41especially in the state of West Bengal.
15:43And now the CEC coming out and lauding the number.
15:46Well, one thing is great, viewers.
15:47One has to salute the spirit of democracy, if cliches be quoted.
15:52Sheer fact that West Bengal has recorded 91% voter turnout.
15:57Usually, it has been fairly high and even Tamil Nadu this time has come to about 84%.
16:05So both states are clocking in bumper voter turnout.
16:10Indra, I'm going to bring you in for 30 seconds before, you know, I go into a break.
16:14We've had Pew tell us what's going on in the BJP war room,
16:18what's going on in the TMC war room as the focus shifts to the second phase.
16:30Indrajeet, can you hear me?
16:32Because he's bastion, the north and...
16:35Yes, I can hear you.
16:36Can you hear me?
16:38As I said, you know, the Tridmore Fongers was playing in the BJP's bastion.
16:44It was on their wicket today because it was their bastion,
16:48North Bengal and Central Bengal.
16:50The next phase, of course, is going to be the BJP playing on Mamata Banerjee's turf in South Bengal.
16:56But that's the interesting part.
16:57As far as what's the buzz within the TMC is concerned,
16:59Mamata Banerjee has herself said that she believes that this bumper turnout is due to,
17:04you know, the SIR.
17:06This is people's mandate against the SIR.
17:09So they are quite buoyant because they feel that they have things in control
17:13and the next phase will be in their own turf in the TMC bastion of South Bengal.
17:19So Trinamul also is putting up a very brave and confident front.
17:27Well, thank you, Indra, for joining us.
17:29All three gentlemen, Piyush, Indra, Tapas, all of us have been spread out across West Bengal
17:35to get our viewers a ringside view of what is touted to be, or rather it is.
17:40It's a tectonic election in West Bengal.
17:42Whichever way the results go, viewers.
17:44If Mamata Banerjee wins, she creates history.
17:46Four consecutive terms by a woman chief minister.
17:49Never before.
17:50If she loses, then the BJP creates history because then is the era of BJP.
17:5477 to 2011 was the left.
17:572011 to now 15 years of TMC.
17:59If TMC goes, the BJP comes in.
18:02A new era begins.
18:03And if the TMC holds, Mamata Banerjee scripts history.
18:06Breaking news that has just come in.
18:08Let's take our viewers through that.
18:10CEC Gyanesh Kumar has hailed the bumper turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
18:14That's the latest news coming in.
18:16Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal Tamil Nadu since independence.
18:20The ECI salutes the voter is what Gyanesh Kumar is saying.
18:25Well, Gyanesh Kumar has been quite a controversial figure off late,
18:29especially in the state of West Bengal, and now the CEC coming out and lauding the number.
18:34Well, one thing is great, viewers.
18:36One has to salute the spirit of democracy, if cliches be quoted.
18:41Sheer fact that West Bengal has recorded 91% voter turnout.
18:46Usually, it has been fairly high, and even Tamil Nadu this time has come to about 84%.
18:54So both states are clocking in bumper voter turnout.
18:58Indra, I'm going to bring you in for 30 seconds before, you know, I go into a break.
19:02We've had Pews tell us what's going on in the BJP war room,
19:07what's going on in the TMC war room as the focus shifts to the second phase.
19:18Indrajeet, can you hear me?
19:21Because he's Bastion, the North, and yes, I can hear you.
19:25Can you hear me?
19:26As I said, you know, the Tremont Congress was playing in the BJP's Bastion.
19:32It was on their wicket today because it was their Bastion, North Bengal and Central Bengal.
19:39The next phase, of course, is going to be the BJP playing on Mamata Banerjee's turf in South Bengal.
19:44But that's the interesting part.
19:45As far as what's the buzz within the TMC is concerned, Mamata Banerjee has herself said that she believes that
19:51this bumper turnout is due to, you know, the SIR.
19:54This is people's mandate against the SIR.
19:57So they are quite buoyant because they feel that they have things in control.
20:02And the next phase will be in their own turf in the TMC Bastion of South Bengal.
20:07So Trinomol also is putting up a very brave and confident front.
20:15Well, thank you, Indra, for joining us.
20:18All three gentlemen, Piyush, Indra, Tapas.
20:21All the fuss have been spread out across West Bengal to get our viewers a ringside view of what is
20:27touted to be, or rather it is.
20:29It's a tectonic election in West Bengal, whichever way the results go, viewers.
20:32If Mamata Banerjee wins, she creates history.
20:35Four consecutive terms by a woman chief minister, never before.
20:38If she loses, then the BJP creates history because then is the era of BJP.
20:4377 to 2011 was the left.
20:452011 to now, 15 years of TMC.
20:48If TMC goes, the BJP comes in, a new era begins.
20:51And if the TMC holds, Mamata Banerjee scripts history.
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