NEW DELHI: Voting in the first phase of assembly elections began on Saturday with 30 seats going to poll in West Bengal where elections will be held in eight phases and 47 seats going to polls in Assam where voting will take place in three phases.
In West Bengal, 30 seats include all constituencies in Purulia and Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur with 191 candidates in the fray.
In Assam, 47 constituencies across 12 districts—42 seats from 11 districts of Upper Assam and northern Assam region and five seats from central Assam’s Nagaon district —are going to polls with 264 candidates in the fray.

Here are the highlights:
9 am update
Till 9 am, 8.84 per cent and 7.72 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively, said the Election Commission of India.
PM Modi urge people to vote
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged voters to turn out in record numbers and exercise their right to vote as polling for the first phase of assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam began on Saturday morning.

TMC vs BJP in Bengal
In 2016, the TMC had won 27 out of 30 seats and the BJP was not a major player in the last polls. However, the party has gained in strength in the last five years and has emerged as the main challenger to TMC which won two successive assembly polls.
The BJP won 18 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against 22 won by the TMC. Congress had won two seats going to the polls in the first phase and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) had won one seat.

PM Modi and senior BJP leaders including home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and party chief JP Nadda campaigned ahead of the first phase.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has led the Trinamool campaign. She had earlier this month sustained “severe bone injuries” on her left foot. She was seen at several rallies on a wheelchair and a cast on her leg.
Triangular contest in Assam
Most of these 47 seats are witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling BJP-Asom Gana Parishad (AGM) alliance, the Congress-led opposition grand alliance and the newly-formed Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).

The ruling BJP is contesting 39 seats and its partner AGP 10. The two allies are engaged in “friendly contests” in Lakhimpur and Naharkatiya constituencies.
The opposition grand alliance is contesting all the seats, with the Congress putting up candidates in 43, and the AIUDF, CPI(ML-L), RJD and Anchalik Gana Morcha (contesting as Independent) in one each.
The newly-formed AJP is in the fray in 41 seats, while there are 78 Independents, including 19 candidates of the newly-formed Raijor Dal.
West Bengal: Notable candidates in first phase
Some notable names for the first phase of polling include Srikanto Mahato, Rajib Lochan Saren, June Malia and Uttam Barik from TMC, and Rabindranath Maity, Chandana Bauri and Rajib Kundu from BJP.
Congress has fielded five candidates for the first phase — Nepal Mahato from Baghmundi, Shiu Maiti from Bhagabanpur, Uttam Banerjee from Balarampur, Manas Kumar Karmahapatra from Egra and Partha Pratim Banerjee from Purulia.
Assam: Notable candidates in first phase
Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal is trying his luck from Majuli (ST), Speaker of the outgoing assembly Hitendranath Goswami is fighting the elections from Jorhat.

Ministers Ranjit Dutta (Behali), Naba Kumar Doley (Dhakuakha), Jogen Mohan (Mahmora), Terash Gowala (Duliajan) and Sanjoy Kishan (Tinsukia) are all locked in triangular contests with Congress or its alliance partners, and the AJP.
Titabor, another high-profile seat that was held by former chief minister Tarun Gogoi of the Congress for four successive terms, is witnessing a direct contest between Bhaskar Jyoti Barua of the Congress and former MLA Hemanta Kalita.
Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia and state Congress president Ripun Borah are in the fray from Nazira and Gohpur, respectively.