New Delhi, April 29 -- A voter turnout of 37.97 per cent was recorded till 11 am on Wednesday as polling progressed across 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, a crucial contest that will determine whether the ruling Trinamool Congress can retain its grip over its southern bastions or if the Bharatiya Janata Party can stage a decisive breakthrough.
Voting began at 7 am with long queues forming early outside polling stations across Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman-districts that collectively represent the political heartland of the state. The early turnout reflected steady participation, with Purba Bardhaman leading the polling percentages, fo...