Kolkata: Only 12.7 per cent of voter turnout was recorded in the first three hours of polling for elections to the municipal corporations of Bidhannagar, Asansol, Siliguri and Chandannagar on Saturday. Voting for these four municipal corporations started at 7 a.m. in the morning and will continue till 5 p.m. in the evening.
Bidhannagar recorded the highest polling with 13.7 per cent followed by Asansol where 13.4 per cent voting was recorded. In Siliguri, 12.6 per cent polling was recorded and Chandannagar registered a polling of only 11.1 per cent. Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the police in all the four municipal areas situated in different parts of the state for peaceful conduct of the polls, an official said. Though the opposition alleged rigging and booth jamming, no untoward incident was recorded so far.
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In Bidhannagar, a total of 203 candidates are contesting in 41 wards, while in Siliguri, there are 200 contestants in 47 wards. There are 120 aspirants for 33 wards in Chandannagar, while Asansol has 106 wards for which a total of 430 candidates are contesting. The state election body had earlier announced to conduct the polls in these four municipal corporations on January 22 but following the High Court directive, it had to defer it to February 12.
Election to Kolkata Municipal Corporation was held in December, where most of the 144 wards were won by the TMC, even as the opposition alleged malpractices and inaction of police. The counting in these four municipal corporations will be held on February 14.
(IANS)
