In photos: Bengal, Assam record high voter turnout in second phase

Witnessing a fierce battle, Bengal's Nandigram is slated to pick between state chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her protege-turned-rival Suvendhu Adhikari who are competing from the constituency.

Long queues greeted poll officials in Assam and West Bengal on Thursday where more than 7.3 million voters are exercising their franchise in the second phase of assembly elections. Most of the 10,592 polling stations across the 13 districts in the Assam's Barak Valley, the Hill region and parts of Central and Lower Assam saw voters lined up at polling booths since early morning.

An Indian voter wearing face mask shows the indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote during the second phase of elections for Assam state, in Morigaon district, India, Thursday, April 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (AP)

Witnessing a fierce battle, Bengal's Nandigram is slated to pick between state chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her protege-turned-rival Suvendhu Adhikari who are competing from the constituency.

The state saw 58.15 voter turnout till 1.29pm amid allegations of booth capturing and violence.

An elderly couple shows their indelible ink-marked fingers after casting vote at a polling station in the second phase of Assam Assembly polls, in Mangaldal, Darrang district on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

Female voters show their ID cards and fingers marked with indelible ink after casting their votes at a polling station in the second phase of Assam Assembly Elections, at Dhekiabari in Morigaon district on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

Voters stand in a line to cast their vote at a polling station during Phase 2 of West Bengal's legislative election in Nandigram on April 1, 2021. (AFP)

Voters stand in a queue at a makeshift polling booth during the second phase of elections for West Bengal state in Nandigram , East Medinipur district, India, Thursday, April 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) (AP)

Jyoti Boro, 96, an elderly voter, returns home in Morigaon after casting her vote during the second phase of elections in Assam. (AP)

Tribal Bodo voters display the indelible ink mark on their fingers after casting their votes during the second phase of elections in Assam's Morigaon. (AP)

Voters wearing plastic gloves stand in a line to cast their vote outside a polling station during Phase 2 of West Bengal's legislative election in Nandigram on April 1, 2021. (Photo: AFP)

BJP's Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari on his way to a polling booth in the assembly constituency to cast his vote for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly, in Nandigram on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

BJP candidate Rupak Sarmah shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting his vote at a polling station during the second phase of Assam Assembly Polls, in Nagaon district, Thursday, April 1, 2021. (PTI)

Members of the Muslim community leave a polling station after casting their votes during the second phase of Assam Assembly Elections, at Silchar in Cachar district, Thursday, April 1, 2021. (PTI)

In a comparatively active polling day, Assam recorded a voter turnout of 38.08% till 1.10 pm across 39 constituencies in 13 districts during the second phase of the state assembly polls, the Election Commission said.

The Nowgowg constituency in the state has witnessed the highest voting percentage with a voter turnout of 54.10% till 1.10 pm, while the Jagiroad constituency witnessed the lowest voting percentage with a voter turnout of just 18.20%, reported PTI.

Voters show their Voter-IDs as they wait to cast vote during the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly election. at Nandigram in East Midnapore on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

Elderly Indian voters sit in a queue to cast their votes during the second phase of elections for Assam state, in Morigaon district, India, Thursday, April 1, 2021. (AP)

The situation in Assam was peaceful with a significant number of voters turning up during the morning hours to exercise their franchise in the 39 seats where voting was underway in the second phase on Thursday.

Reports of EVM glitches surfaced from some polling stations in Assam but this had no impact on voting as they were immediately replaced, a poll official told PTI.