West Bengal bypolls 2022: Voting peaceful for GTA elections in Darjeeling, 57pc turnout recorded

Voting peaceful for GTA elections in Darjeeling, 57pc turnout recorded

Elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling hills and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad in north Bengal passed off peacefully on Sunday, with a turnout of 57 per cent and 78.30 per cent, respectively, officials said. Polling for the GTA, the semi-autonomous council that governs the Darjeeling Hills, were held after a decade marked by a series of changes in the region's political dynamics.

Voting for GTA, which began at 7 am, continued till 4 pm, while in Siliguri, the exercise came to a close at 5 pm, they said.
"Polling has been peaceful and no untoward incident was reported. Till 4 pm, GTA recorded around 57 per cent turnout. At Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, the percentage stood at 78.30 per cent. The figures might slightly go up as there were people still in queue," an official said.

GTA, which came into being in 2011, has 45 seats spread across Kalimpong district and parts of Darjeeling district. Voting is being held in 922 polling stations, of which five have been identified as critical.

Traditional hill parties such as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), besides the BJP, have boycotted the semi-autonomous council elections.

West Bengal bypolls 2022 live updates: Voting percentage till 1 pm

Till 1 pm, 46 per cent polling was recorded in Siliguri, while th turnout in Jhalda was 62 per cent. In Dum Dum, it was 47 per cent and in South Dum Dum, 43 per cent polling was recorded.

In Bhatpara, 38 per cent votes have been cast till 1 pm. In Panihati, 32 per cent of the votes were cast and in Chandannagar, 44 per cent of polling was completed.

West Bengal bypolls 2022 live updates

Polling is also underway in ward 3 of Bhatpara Municipality, ward 16 of Chandannagar Municipality and ward 4 of Dumdum Municipality as one candidate in each of these wards died before the elections in February. The voting is also taking place in ward 29 of South Dumdum Municipality.

West Bengal bypolls 2022 live updates: Polling underway in six municipalities

Polling is underway for the bypolls in six wards of six municipalities of West Bengal. The by-elections are taking place in ward 2 of Jhalda Municipality in Purulia as sitting Congress councillor Tapan Kandu was shot dead in March. Voting is also underway in ward 8 of Panihati Municipality in North 24 Parganas district where TMC councillor Anupam Dutta was shot dead.