Kolkata, May 19: Polling for nine constituencies in the seventh phase for West Bengal began at 7 am on Sunday. Voting is currently taking place at Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar constituencies. The main contest is between the candidates of Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Left Front and Congress. Till 5 pm, 65.11 per cent of voter turnout was recorded.

Since morning reports of EVM malfunctioning are being reported. EVMs malfunction in two booths in Mitra Institution, Kolkata where WB CM Mamata Banerjee and nephew Abhishek Banerjee will cast their vote. Along with this, EVM discrepancies have been reported from booth number 208 & 210 in the Mitra Institution in West Bengal. While EVM in 208 has reportedly been fixed, 210, which is also the polling station from where CM Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will be casting their vote.

In the meantime, reports are coming that BJP camp office in Kadampukur area of Barasat constituency has been vandalised on Sunday morning. The BJP has blamed Trinamool Congress for the attack, while no TMC has been denying it.

Considering the incidents of violence, poll rigging, law and order issues and allegations of booth capturing, the Election Commission has set up 597 polling stations for 1,49,63,064 electorates to decide the future of 111 candidates in the electoral fray. Adequate central armed police forces have been deployed in these constituencies by the apex poll conducting body.  West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 6: Voting Concludes in Jhargram, Medinipur & 6 Other Constituencies; 80.16% Voter Turnout Recorded.

Earlier this week, after Amit Shah’s rally in Kolkata, violence took place in which the iconic statue of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s statue was vandalised. Following this, the Election Commission curtailed the campaigning by over 20 hours. Due to this, political reactions made by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah created national headlines for media.

The recent violence in West Bengal before the seventh phase is an addition to the previous incidences that took place during the earlier phases. Attack on a Union Minister, misbehaviour with a woman TMC worker by Barrackpore BJP candidate Arjun Singh, attack on CPM leader MD Salim’s convoy, clashes outside polling booths, hurling of bombs and EVM snags are some of the things that had kept West Bengal in the headlines. West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5: Total Voter Turnout In State Was 73.97 Per Cent

Despite all these incidences, the polling in the state had been comparably high that other states in the country. In each phase, the polling in the state has been more than 75 per cent, much higher than the national average.

Lok Sabha Constituencies Going for Polls in Phase 7 With Details:

Dum Dum (16) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Saugata Roy (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Asim Kumar Dasgupta (CPM)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Saugata Roy

BJP: Samik Bhattacharya

CPM: Nepaldeb Bhattacharya

INC: Saurav Saha

West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 4: Over 76 Percent Voter Turnout Recorded Despite Violence. 

Barasat (17) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Dr Kakali Ghoshdostidar (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Dr Mortoza Hossain (AIFB)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Dr Kakali Ghoshdostidar

BJP: Dr Mrinal Kanthi Debnath

CPM: Haripada Biswas

INC: Subroto (Rashu) Dutta

Basirhat (18) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Idris Ali (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Nurul Huda (CPI)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Nusrat Jahan

BJP: Sayantan Basu

CPM: Pallav Sengupta

INC: Quazi Abdur Rahim

West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Nearly 69 Percent Voter Turnout Till 5 PM. 

Joynagar_SC (19) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Pratima Mondal (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Subhas Naskar (RSP)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Pratima Mondal

BJP: Dr Ashok Kandari

RSP: Subhas Naskar

INC: Tapan Mondal

Mathurapur_SC (20) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Choudhury Mohan Jatua (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Rinku Naskar (CPM)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Choudhury Mohan Jatua

BJP: Shyamaprasad Halder

CPM: Dr Sarat Halder

INC: Krittibas Sardar

West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Phase 2 Polling Ends, 75.27% Voter Turnout Recorded. 

Diamond Harbour (21) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Abhishek Banerjee (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Dr Abul Hasnat (CPM)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Abhishek Banerjee

BJP: Nilanjan Roy

CPM: Dr Fuad Halim

INC: Soumya Aich Roy

Jadavpur (22) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Sugata Bose (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Sujan Chakraborty (CPM)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Mimi Chakraborty

BJP: Prof. Anupam Hazra

CPM: Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya

INC: Not Declared Yet

Kolkata Dakshin (23) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Subrata Bakshi (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Tathagata Roy (BJP)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Mala Roy

BJP: Chandra Kumar Bose

CPM: Dr Nandini Mukherjee

INC: Mita Chakraborty

West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Phase I Voting Concludes, 70% Polling Recorded.

Kolkata Uttar (24) Lok Sabha Seat 2014 Results:

Winning MP: Sudip Bandyopadhyay (AITC)

Losing Candidate: Rahul (Biswajit) Sinha (BJP)

2019 Candidates:

AITC: Sudip Bandyopadhyay

BJP: Rahul (Biswajit) Sinha

CPM: Kaninika Bose (Ghosh)

INC: Syed Shahid Imam

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 7 Schedule And Dates (Watch Video)

According to the Election Commission, a total of 80.16 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the sixth phase, while in the average voter turnout was more than 73.97 percent in the fifth phase. The polling recorded in the fourth, third, second and first phase were 76, 69, 75.27, and 69.44 per cent respectively. Now with EC more vigilant and more paramilitary forces deployed in each polling station, it is expected that the voter turnout in seven Lok Sabha constituencies would be peaceful. The results would be declared on May 23.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2019 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).