Over 23 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling in the sixth and last phase of West Bengal Assembly election today. A booth at Dinhata in Coochbehar earned its place in the sun when 103-year-old Asgar Ali voted.


East Midnapore district has recorded a 24.45 per cent turnout, Coochbehar recorded 21.59 per cent. The overall average till 9 am was 23.46 per cent. An electorate of over 58 lakh is eligible to cast their ballots at 6,774 polling stations between 7 am to 6 pm in 25 constituencies.


In all, 170 candidates, including 18 women, are in the fray for the last phase.


For the first time since Independence, residents of border enclaves in Coochbehar are exercising their franchise, made possible by the formal inclusion of enclaves in the Indian territory last year. There are 9,776 voters in the enclave, for whom special arrangements and awareness programmes have been done.


Pic: 103-year-old Asgar Ali votes at a polling booth in Dinhata (Coochbehar, West Bengal).