14 per cent polling in first two hours

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Fourteen per cent polling was recorded in the first two hours of voting in 54 constituencies in six North Bengal districts today.

"In the first two hours, polling was 14 per cent. There has been no report of any untoward incident so far," Election Commission office sources said here. Asked whether the polling percentage was satisfactory, the sources said, "Obviously. In the first two hours 14 per cent is a good turnout."

Coochbehar had the highest turnout at 24 per cent and North Dinajpur the lowest with nine per cent, the sources said. "There are some reports of power cuts in Malda, but apart from that, polling has been peaceful," they said.

An electorate of 97.42 lakh will decide the fate of 364 candidates including 11 ministers - Ashok Bhattacharya, Kshiti Goswami, Biswanath Chowdhury, Kironmoy Nanda, Narayan Biswas and Srikumar Mukherjee. Also contesting is Congress leader Debaprasad Roy and Trinamool Congress Darjeeling district president Gautam Deb.

A report from Siliguri said that over 60,000 central force personnel were deployed and international and state borders sealed in North Bengal.

There are 28 general observers, nine finance observers and two police observers deployed by the EC. In the Darjeeling hills, approx 7000 para-military forces have been deployed for a free and fair poll.

The six-phase election will end on May 10.