Bengal bypoll: Over 17% cast votes in first two hours in Dhupguri assembly seat

Jalpaiguri: Over 17 per cent voting was recorded in the by-election to Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district in the first two hours of polling, an official said.

Polling began, amid tight security, at 7 a.m. across 260 booths in the constituency, and the poll percentage stood at 17.25 till 9 a.m., he said.

"The polling has been peaceful so far. No untoward incident has been reported," the Election Commission official said.

Tight security arrangements are in place across all the booths which are manned by central paramilitary forces where the casting of votes will continue till 6.30 p.m.

CPI (M)'s Ishwar Chandra Roy is contesting as the candidate of the Congress-Left alliance, while the ruling TMC has fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy, a teacher by profession.

The BJP has nominated Tapasi Roy, the widow of a CRPF jawan who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir a few years back.

The bypoll to the seat was necessitated by the death of its sitting BJP MLA, Bishu Pada Ray, earlier this year.

Dhupguri, a scheduled caste-reserved seat, has nearly 50 per cent Rajbanshi people and 15 per cent minority population.

The BJP had snatched the constituency from the TMC in the 2021 assembly polls.

Votes will be counted on September 8.