Turnover 53 %@5 PM in Varanasi,Over 47% in Bihar,67% in WB @ 3 PM

The voter turnout further increased towards evening and touched nearly 53 per cent in Varanasi by 5 P.M. on Monday.

According to election officials, the highest turnout of 57 per cent was reported in the Varanasi South Assembly constituency while the rural areas of Rohiniya and Sevapuri saw 51 per cent and 54 per cent polling, respectively, till 5 P.M.  In the upmarket Cantonment area, polling was lower at 51 per cent while in the Varanasi North Assembly constituency, it was at 50 per cent till 5 P.M.  While polling was peaceful at most places, police had to resort to mild use of force at some booths after people complained about their names missing from the voters' list.  AAP also complained about alleged attempts at booth capturing in some areas. Over 47 per cent polling in Bihar till 3 PM  Undeterred by the scorching sun, 47 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 PM in polling for six Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar on Monday in the last leg of the general elections.  Though the temperature reached 43 degree Celsius there was no lack of enthusiasm among voters with Valmikinagar recording 48 per cent voting, West Champaran and East Champaran 49 per cent each, Vaishali 52 per cent, Gopalganj (SC) 42.5 and Siwan 43 per cent, an Election Commission statement said.  In Meenapur block of Vaishali, an elderly woman was seen arriving at a booth in a cart to cast her vote.  A large number of burqa-clad women were seen standing in queue outsides booths in Siwan parliamentary constituency.  RJD candidate from Siwan Heena Sahbab stood with women in the queue to vote.  In Gopalganj, an FIR was lodged against ruling JD(U) MLA, Amrendra Kumar Pandey alias Pappu Pandey along with nine aides for allegedly attacking a voter, Jairam Tiwari, outside a booth. Gopalganj District Magistrate Krishna Mohan told PTI that the arrest of the MLA was ordered and the police were on the look out for him.  There were also reports of fights between BJP and JD(U) workers at some booths in East Champaran. Complaints of problems in EVMs were reported from some booths in Gopalganj, East Champaran and elsewhere, the statement said. Film-maker Prakash Jha and former Union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh were among the 90 candidates contesting from the six seats.  The Election Commission reduced the duration of polling by two hours in five assembly segments in view of perceived Maoist threat. Security was provided by 58,000 security personnel. Over 67 pc polling in W Bengal till 3:00 PM  Amidst stray violence in which 13 people were injured, over 67 per cent of the electorate on Monday voted in West Bengal till 3:00 PM in 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the fifth and final phase of the polls. "An estimated 67.34 per cent of the total 2,55,75,744 voters cast their votes till 3:00 PM," Election Commission sources said.  Thirteen persons were injured in a clash between CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress supporters at Haroa in North 24 Parganas district under Minakha assembly segment of Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.  Supporters of the rival parties pelted stones and used lathis in the clash which took place near two polling booths at Brahmanchak area of Haroa, police sources said. The CPIM alleged that TMC workers fired injuring four persons. District Superintendent of Police Tanmoy Roychowdhury, however, said there was no firing and 13 persons were detained.  State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said voting was so far peaceful except some stray incidents.  "We have not yet received report of any major incident on disruption of law and order or complaint of booth jamming or violation of the Model Code of conduct," he said. Two bombs were allegedly thrown by unidentified persons at the car of former Kolkata deputy mayor Mina Devi at Bowbazar in Kolkata when she was crossing the area. None was injured.