West Bengal Election Phase 8 LIVE UPDATES: Voting concludes; final voter turnout at 76.07%

As per turnout app, voter turnout is at  76.07% at 7: 30 PM, voting concludes.

As per Turnout App, voter turnout at 67.15% at 3:30 PM

TMC supporters gheraoed the car of BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey in Maniktala, North Kolkata. He claimed that a 31-yr-old woman came to cast her vote in a polling booth instead of another 50-year-old. "Our polling agent was sitting inside when a 50-yr-old woman came to vote instead of a 31-yr-old woman. When the agent objected she was scolded. This is hooliganism of TMC," Chaubey said. 

Trinamool Congress has written a letter to the Election Commission of India regarding 'inadequacies' in its direction for counting of votes on May 2. The party stated that no provision has been made for the submission of negative RT-PCR test by polling officers and CAPF personnel.

As voting went underway for the eighth and last phase of assembly elections in West Bengal, stray incidents of violence were reported on Thursday from several areas. One person was killed and two others were injured after being hit by a car in Murshidabad district, hours before the polling exercise began, triggering tension in the area, a police officer said earlier in the day. 

Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty cast his vote for the final phase of West Bengal Polls, at a polling station in Kashipur-Belgachia, North Kolkata early on Thursday. "I had never voted so peacefully ever before. I must congratulate all the security personnel," he told the media. 

In the last phase of polling in West Bengal, 50.49% voter turnout was recorded till 1.15 pm. District-wise break-up of the voter turnout is as follows: Birbhum - 49.46 percent, Kolkata North - 39.55 percent, Malda - 52.63 percent, Murshidabad - 58.86 percent

A delegation of the TMC submitted a memorandum regarding the counting process to the Election Commission regarding the COVID-19 testing of polling agents and central forces deployed in the state during elections. "The EC informed that all counting agents and candidates should be tested for COVID-19 but no such instructions are there for polling agents/central forces that's what we wanted to point out," said TMC MP Saugata Roy.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar cast their votes at a polling booth in Chowringhee, Kolkata. "The election is the greatest festival in democracy, we both voted. COVID protocol being followed 100%. I'm very happy with the arrangements. Excellent work done by EC & CAPF. Democracy is powered only by your votes. Anyone who doesn't vote loses the right to grievance," he told the media. 

Poll-Percentage in Bengal Election till 11 am - Overall: 37.80%, Malda: 41.58, Murshidabad: 41.04%, Kolkata: 27.60%, Birbhum: 38.11%

The Trinamool Congress took to its official page to share the visuals of an alleged polling booth in West Bengal's Malda district on Monday. The ruling party stated that the 'empty' BJP camp indicated that the people of Bengal have rejected BJP. 

A bomb was hurled near Mahajati Sadan Auditorium in north Kolkata on Thursday. The Election Commission has sought details of the incident.

BJP candidate from Malda Gopal Chandra Saha cast his vote. He said, "Here also the candidates are not safe. TMC goons have killed many BJP workers. Our polling agents are not allowed to enter some polling stations. ''

As the voting for the eighth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections is currently underway, BJP national president JP Nadda on Thursday morning took to his official Twitter handle and urged the people of the poll-bound state to vote in maximum numbers. 

JP Nadda's tweet in Bengali can be roughly translated into: "Today, the last round, i.e. the eighth round election is going on in West Bengal. I am appealing to all the voters to cast their votes in maximum number for the construction of 'Sonar Bangla' with caution."

As the voting for the eighth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections is currently underway, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday morning took to his official Twitter account and urged the people of the state to come out and vote in large numbers.

Amit Shah's tweet in Bengal can be roughly translated into: "Today is the eighth phase of elections in Bengal. I appeal to all the voters of this phase to cast their votes in large numbers with enthusiasm to ensure development and good governance in Bengal just like the previous seven rounds of elections."

As voting for the final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections began, people at a polling station in Kashipur-Belgachia wait for their turn to cast their votes. 

Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mithun Chakraborty has now reached the polling station to caste his vote in the with and the final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections.

• Voters form queues outside polling booth number 23/24 in Malda; voting for the eighth and last phase of #WestBengalPolls will begin at 7 am today. pic.twitter.com/PgunPzWjtx

  — ANI (@ANI)

Voting for 8th and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections to begin from 7 am

The saffron party is gearing for a tough battle in Bengal - aiming to attain more than 200 seats, while not fielding a CM face yet.  With over 65,000 booth committees and 14,000 Shakti Kendra constituted, the BJP has appointed five veterans as central observers - with the final call to be taken by Amit Shah.  BJP has also seen an inrush of disgruntled TMC leaders like - Suvendu Adhikari and his two brothers, Rajib Banerjee, Jitendra Tiwari, Vaishali Dalmiya, Dinesh Tiwari and recently Mithun Chakraborty. BJP has promised 33% reservation for women on state govt jobs, PM-KISAN arrear of Rs 18,000 for 75 lakh farmers, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, free education to women and implementing CAA in its manifesto as it eyes to forms its first government in Bengal.

TMC, on the other hand, has pushed Mamata Banerjee's 'Bengal's daughter' image, daring the BJP with its catch slogan 'Khela Hobe!' (Game is on). Taking up BJP's challenge, Mamata has filed her nomination from Nandigram, setting up a high-voltage battle against her former aide - Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata, who recently suffered an injury which she has blamed on BJP, has vowed to conduct her campaign on a wheelchair with the BJP calling it 'sympathy politics'. TMC has also promised 10 lakhs new MSMEs, Rs 1000 pensions for widows, free ration delivery, Rs 1.06 Crore for Economic support in its manifesto, as Mamata aims to defend her turf from a rising BJP.

The Congress-Left-ISF completed its seat-sharing pact, with Congress grabbing 92 seats, Left 165 seats and ISF 37 seats. Inspite of ISF eyeing the high-stakes Nandigram seat which will see Mamata Banerjee taken on former aide Suvendu Adhikari, the Left Front will contest from that seat. Siddiqui, who has also held talks with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, has stated that he will not field candidates where AIMIM is contesting. While Congress has allied with the Left in its bid to end Mamata Banerjee's 10-year term and fight an emerging BJP in Bengal, Congress is the prime opponent against the Left government in Kerala.

Sealing the fate of West Bengal, the last of the 8-phase state elections will be held on Thursday with 35 seats up for grabs. Spread across four districts - Malda (6), Murshidabad (11), Kolkata North (7) and Birbhum (11), the fate of 283 candidate polling on 35 seats will be sealed. With campaigning ending on Monday due to EC's 72 hr silence rule, results of the 294-seat Bengal Assembly polls will be announced on May 2. EC has banned all celebratory processions on May 2, amid a resurging COVID-19 wave.

The Election Commission said that a total of 84,77,728 voters — 43,55,835 male, 41,21,735 women and 158 of the third gender are eligible to vote in the eighth phase polls. The polling will be held between 7 am to 6.30 pm in 11,860 polling booths. The seats up for polls are - Manikchak, Maldaha (SC), English Bazar, Mothabari, Sujapur, Baisnabnagar, Khargram (SC), Burwan (SC), Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, Baharampur, Hariharpara, Nowda, Domkal, Jalangi, Chowrangee, Entally, Beleghata, Jorasanko, Shyampukur, Maniktala, Kashipur-Belgachhia, Dubrajpur (SC), Suri, Bolpur, Nanoor (SC), Labpur, Sainthia (SC), Mayureswar, Rampurhat, Hansan, Nalhati, Murarai.

Maniktala: A three-way fight will be witnessed between Bengal Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pandey (TMC), former India footballer and BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey and CPI(M)’s Rupa Bagchi for this Kolkata North constituency. The TMC veteran has held the seat since 2011, trouncing Bagchi by a margin of 36,550 votes in 2011 and defeating CPM's Rajib Majumder in 2016.

Bolpur: A Trinamool bastion in Birbhum district will witness a fight between 2-time MLA & state minister Chandranath Sinha and BJP intellectual Dr. Anirban Ganguly. While Sinha has held this seat since 2011, BJP has fielded Dr. Ganguly who is Director of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF) in a bid to attract the 'Bhadralok' vote. This seat which is associated with Rabindranath Tagore has witnessed Sinha defeating Tapan Hore of RSP in 2011 and 2016.

Shyampukur: Another Kolkata North constituency held by Trinamool since 2011 will see a three-way fight between Bengal's Women and Child Development minister Shashi Panja, BJP's Sandipan Biswas and AIFB’s Jiban Prakash Saha. Panja has held the seat since 2011, defeating AIFBs Jiban Prakash Saha with a margin of 27,036 votes in 2011 and AIFB's Piyali Pal in 2016. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had won Kolkata North seat by 2500 votes due to TMC in-fighting, which has now been reportedly resolved in this region.

Labhpur: A curious four-way fight will be witnessed between TMC's Abhijit Sinha, CPM's Syed Mahfuzul Karim, BJP's Biswajit Mondal and Independent MLA Monirul Islam. In 2011 & 2016, Islam, who was part of TMC had won the seat which has a 95.08 percent rural population. In 2019, Islam switched to BJP along with Mukul Roy but quit the party's minority cell within six days. Islam eyes to win his turf again

Rampurhat: Asish Banerjee (TMC) vs Subhasis Choudhury (BJP) vs Sanjib Barman [CPI(M)]

Senior TMC leader Asish Banerjee is vying for re-election from this seat located in the Birbhum district. At present, he is the Minister in charge of Agriculture in the West Bengal government. Winning from this seat continuously since 2001, he beat Congress' Saiyed Siraj in the 2016 Assembly polls. CPI(M) is contesting from here on behalf of Sanjukta Morcha and has fielded Sanjib Barman. On the other hand, BJP has given the ticket to Subhasis Choudhury.

Bharatpur: Kamalesh Chatterjee (Congress) vs Humayun Kabir (TMC) vs Iman Kalyan Mukherjee (BJP)

Bharatpur will witness a fascinating three-way contest this time with Congress' Kamalesh Chatterjee seeking to retain his seat. In the previous election, he trounced TMC's Khadem Dastegir by a margin of 11,017 votes. However, Revolutionary Socialist Party's Id Mohammad emerged as the winner in 2011 with Congress' Daliya Begum as the runner-up. On this occasion, TMC has reposed faith in ex-IPS officer Humayun Kabir. Having joined the Mamata Banerjee-led party in February 2021, he served as the  Chandannagar Police Commissioner. BJP's Iman Kalyan Mukherjee is also in the fray. 

Baishnabnagar: Swadhin Kumar Sarkar (BJP) vs Azizul Hoque (Congress) vs Chandana Sarkar (TMC)

Falling under the Maldhaha Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency, this is one of the rare seats where Congress and BJP are the principal contenders. One of the 3 party MLAs to win in the 2016 polls, senior BJP leader Swadhin Kumar Sarkar will face off with Azizul Hoque of the Congress party. Incidentally, Hoque lost to Sarkar by 4497 votes in 2016. Meanwhile, Chandana Sarkar will be contesting from Baishnabnagar on a TMC ticket.

Jorasanko: Vivek Gupta (TMC) vs Meena Purohit (BJP) vs Ajmal Khan (Congress)

Jorasanko is a crucial seat in the Kolkata North district. TMC spokesperson and ex-Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Gupta has been nominated as the TMC candidate from Jorasanko. This is perceived as a TMC bastion with party candidate Smita Bakshi romping home in the last two elections. For instance, she beat BJP's Rahul Sinha by a narrow margin of 6,290 votes in the 2016 polls. She had a much better victory margin of 31,509 votes in 2011 when she relegated CPI(M)'s Janki Singh to the second phase. The other contender is Ajmal Khan of Congress.