Bengal: 73.93% turnout recorded in 4 LS seats till 5pm

Altogether 73.93 per cent of the 73.37 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm in four seats of West Bengal in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, a poll official said.

Murshidabad registered the highest voter turnout of 76.49 per cent followed by Maldaha Dakshin (73.68 pc), Maldaha Uttar (73.30 pc), and Jangipur (72.13 pc).

Bhagawangola assembly seat in Murshidabad district, where a bypoll is held, recorded a turnout of 73.68 per cent till 3pm, the official said.

Altogether 73,37,651 voters, including 36,12,395 women and 154 belonging to the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise.

A total of 57 candidates are in the fray in the four constituencies.

To ensure free and fair polling, the Election Commission has deployed 334 companies of central forces along with 13,600 state police personnel.