Voting for the eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal began in the sixth phase on Saturday morning with tight security measures in place, according to an official.
The polling started at 7 am in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur constituencies and will continue until 6 pm.
Around 1.45 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase at approximately 15,600 polling stations.
There are a total of 79 candidates in the fray, with Bankura and Jhargram having the highest number of 13 contestants each, followed by Purulia (12), and nine each in Medinipur and Tamluk. Seven candidates are contesting in the Bishnupur and Ghatal seats.
Among the notable candidates in this phase are Bengali superstar Dev, seeking a third term as TMC MP from Ghatal, former Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, the BJP candidate in Tamluk, Union Minister Subhas Sarkar in Bankura, and fashion designer Agnimitra Paul, a BJP legislator, who is pitted against TMC MLA and actor June Malia in Medinipur.
A total of 919 companies of central forces have been deployed in this phase along with over 29,000 state police personnel.