Polling underway in 3 Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal

Kolkata: Voting was underway peacefully in Coochbehar, Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal on Friday morning, an election official said.

Polling began at 7 am and would continue till 6 pm, he said.

"Polling during the first hour was peaceful. There was not a single untoward incident," the official said.

A total of 37 candidates, including Union MoS for Home Nisith Pramanik of the BJP, are in the fray in the three constituencies in the northern part of the state.

CPI(M)' Jalpaiguri candidate Debraj Barman cast his vote in the first hour and said he would visit different booths throughout the day.

A total of 56.26 lakh people are eligible to vote in the three seats, and voting is taking place at 5,814 polling stations -- 2,043 are in Cooch Behar, 1,904 in Jalpaiguri and 1,867 in Alipurduars.

All three seats are reserved, with Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri for SCs and Alipurduars for STs.

The Election Commission has declared 746 polling stations as sensitive -- 391 in Jalpaiguri, 196 in Cooch Behar and 159 in Alipurduars.

A total of 112 companies of central forces (one company comprises 100 personnel) and 4,500 state police personnel have been deployed in Coochbehar, which is more than the other two constituencies that have remained by and large peaceful during the campaign period.

A total of 2,454 state police personnel alongside 63 companies of central forces were deployed in Alipurduars, while 75 companies of central forces and 3,077 state police personnel were deployed in Jalpaiguri, the official said.

Meanwhile, a central forces personnel, identified as Kumar Nilu, who was deployed at a polling station in Beltala in Cooch Behar's Mathabhanga died on Thursday night.

"He hailed from Bihar and was part of the Quick Response Team (QRT). He complained of severe bleeding through nose and mouth, and was taken to a hospital where he breathed his last," the official said, adding that an investigation was started.