72 per cent voting recorded in Durgapur Assembly bypoll

The bypoll to Durgapur-I Assembly constituency in West Bengal went off peacefully on Monday with 72 per cent voting recorded, officials said.

The bypoll to Durgapur-I Assembly constituency in West Bengal went off peacefully on Monday with 72 per cent voting recorded, officials said.

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District Magistrate of Burdwan Omkar Singh Meena said 72 per cent of voters exercised their franchise. The polling began 45 minutes late in four booths after EVMs developed a technical problem, he said.

The area was exempted from the 12-hour 'Bharat bandh' called by the NDA and Left parties to protest fuel price hike.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of West Bengal Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee, who was a CPI-M MLA from Durgapur.

Congress has fielded a retired industry worker Bansi Badan Karmakar, who was also supported by Opposition Trinamool Congress. CPI-M has fielded Archana Bhattacharya.

Congress had sought Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla's intervention in deferring the bypolls in view of the nation-wide bandh call.