NEW DELHI: Stray 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 70.2% of the eligible voters exercising their franchise till 3:00 PM. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's younger brother was reportedly attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters in Contai town in East Midnapur district, his party alleged. His car was vandalized and his was driver injured in the attack. The Trinamool is facing a stern test from the BJP in its bid for a third straight term.

The situation in Assam, meanwhile, is largely peaceful. The BJP is hoping to win a second straight term in the state, with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal the biggest name on the ballot today. "We will get more than 100 seats," Mr Sonowal said. Mr Gogoi, meanwhile, visited a polling booth in Jorhat to cast vote. "It's a very emotional moment for me as it's the first time after many years that I'm coming to a polling station without my parents. Confident that people are going to vote out politics of lies and deceit and voting for politics that guarantees that their future is bright," Mr Gogoi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 62.1 per cent of the eligible voters have exercised their franchise till 3.00 pm.

The politically volatile states of West Bengal and Assam are voting in the first phase of assembly elections today amid a resurgent Covid crisis to decide the fate of a number of top politicians including Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Polling is being held in 30 of the 294 constituencies of West Bengal and 47 of the 126 in Assam.

West Bengal will vote in eight-phases while the exercise will be completed in Assam in three phases on March 27, April 1 and 6. Altogether 264 candidates, including 23 women, are in the fray.

The state polls to the two states apart from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry are the first, after the assembly elections in Bihar, to be held during the pandemic.