KOLKATA/GUWAHATI, Apr 4:

Brisk polling was recordedin the first phase of balloting inthe Assembly elections in WestBengal and Assam with an esti-mated 70 and 67 per cent vot-ers respectively exercisingtheir franchise in the two statestill 3:30 pm.

Polling is being conductedunder heavy security and noviolence or untoward incidenthas been reported from any-where in the two states so far,official sources said.

In West Bengal, whereMamata Banerjee’s TrinamoolCongress is making a deter-mined bid for a second succes-sive term, heavy voter turnoutwas recorded with an estimated70 per cent of 40.09 lakh electorscasting their ballots in 18 of thestate’s 294 constituencies wherepolling is in progress till 3:30pm. Most of these constituencies

are in areas where Maoists earli-er wielded considerable influ-ence.

“There were some issueswith EVMs in some boothswhich were immediatelyaddressed and polling is goingon smoothly. We got some othercomplaints also and they havebeen addressed,” AdditionalChief Electoral OfficerDibyendu Sarkar said.

Of the 18 seats, 13 are inJangalmahal area earlier affect-ed by Maoist violence wherevoting will end at 4 PM due tosecurity considerations. In theremaining five seats of Purulia,Manbazar, Kashipur, Para andRaghunathpur voting will goon till 6 PM.

A key contestant in thisphase is Tribal Affairs MinisterSukumar Hansda, who is trying

his luck from Jhargram.All major contenders to

power- Trinamool, Left-Congress alliance and BJP-have fielded candidates in all18 seats.

Mamata Banerjee, who hasheld sway over West Bengal pol-itics since coming to power fiveyears ago, if facing a challengefrom foe-turned-friends— theCPI(M)-led Left Front-Congresscombine, besides BJP, which isseeking to make inroads into theeastern state.

In Assam, where Congressunder Tarun Gogoi is seeking afourth straight term, 67 per

cent of little over 95.11 lakhvoters cast their ballots till 3:30pm. There were no reports of

violence in any of the 65 of the126 constituencies wherepolling is being held in the first

phase.The 65 constituencies are

spread across Upper Assam,the hill districts, the northernbanks and the Barak Valley.(PTI)

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016 (PAGE 16) DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU

Heartiest Congratulation ToSh Sham Lal Choudhary

MLA SuchetgarhFor Induction as Cabinet Minister

Courtesy :-Morning Walkers Association,Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park,

Sanjay Nagar, Jammu9622458897, 9419795915 Sh Sham Lal Choudhary

Heavy polling in WB, Assam in 1st phase