82 per cent polling in West Bengal by-poll

Kolkata: An estimated 82 per cent polling was recorded in the by-poll to Kanthi Dakshin Assembly in East Midnapore district on Sunday in a peaceful election, an election commission official said.

"Polling was peaceful in the Kanthi Dakshin Assembly today. Around 82 per cent voting was registered till polling ends at 6 PM," deputy electoral officer Amit Jyoti Bhattacharya said.

There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere during the polling in which 2.5 lakh voters exercised their franchise amid strict security maintained by six companies of central forces accompanied by the state police, Bhattacharya said.

Five candidates battled it out at the hustings: Chandrima Bhattacharya of the TMC, Sourindra Mohan Jana of the BJP, Uttam Pradhan of the CPI(M), Nabakumar Nandi of the Congress and another candidate from the SUCI(C).

The by-election is necessitated by TMC MLA Dibyendu Adhikari's election to the Lok Sabha from Tamluk seat.

The counting is scheduled to be held on Thursday.