Assam, West Bengal election 2021 live updates: Bengal, Assam witness high turnout as Phase 1 voting concludes

Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to change the process of polling agents in West Bengal, as the polling for the first phase of state assembly elections is underway. Speaking to the media, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay informed that a nine-member delegation from the parliamentary party visited the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), submitting a memorandum against BJP's proposal to change the existing procedure on booth agents.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh on Saturday rubbished the allegations of poll rigging made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) and said Mamata Banerjee's party is losing and therefore it is making false charges. "Trinamool Congress (TMC) is losing, which is why they are coming up with false narratives. They can go to the Election Commission or the central forces for resolving such problems, but they choose to make accusations," he said after he cast his vote in the first phase of Assembly polls. "The police, which runs on TMC's whims, has become aware that 'poriborton' (change) is coming in the state, that is why they are targeting the central forces to build pressure," he said. Polling for the first of the eight-phase assembly polls in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday with voters deciding the fate of 191 candidates in 30 constituencies.

Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas that are voting in the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal on Saturday, even as the overall poll situation was peaceful with 36.09 per cent turnout recorded till 11 am, officials said. Elections are being held in 30 seats, most of which are in the once-Naxal-affected Jungle Mahal region, across five districts amid tight security, they said.

Rockybul Hussain has been fielded as Congress candidate from Samaguri constituency.