World | India
Big turnout in West Bengal
Millions of voters braved rain to cast their ballot yesterday in West Bengal state, where the world's longest-ruling elected communist government is seeking another term in office.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:32 May 3, 2009
New Delhi: Millions of voters braved rain to cast their ballot yesterday in West Bengal state, where the world's longest-ruling elected communist government is seeking another term in office.
Dressed in colourful ethnic clothes, they stood in long queues outside voting booths in three districts dominated by the Maoist rebels in the first part of the five-phase election process.
The rebels have called for a boycott of polls and authorities deployed tens of thousands of troops to guard polling centres.
Past elections in the eastern state, which shares a long border with Bangladesh, have been plagued by Maoist violence as well as frequent clashes between rival political groups.
Chief electoral officer Debasish Sen said that about 70 per cent of the 6.8 million registered voters had turned out, and there were no reports of any violence as polling ended at 5pm (1130 GMT).
The state's ruling leftists are fighting the main opposition Congress party, which heads the federal government.
The left parties support the Congress coalition in New Delhi but are pitted against it in the state polls where the communists are aiming to win power for the seventh straight term since 1977.
The Maoist threat meant helicopters had to be used to fly polling personnel and voting machines to several sensitive areas, police said.
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