By-elections in Baranagar and Bhagawangola Assemblies recorded a lower percentage of voting than that of elections in Dum Dum and Murshidabad Lok Sabha (LS) constituencies respectively.

The Baranagar Assembly falls under the Dum Dum LS constituency while Bhagawangola is in Murshidabad parliamentary seat. Both by-election in Baranagar and Dum Dum LS seat were held on the same day, 1 June and Bhagawangola Assembly and Murshidabad LS had voted simultaneously on 7 May.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, 73.81 per cent votes were polled in Dum Dum LS constituency on 1 June when the seven and last phase of general elections were held in nine out of 42 constituencies. Interestingly, by-election in Baranagar seat recorded a poor turnout of only 53.4 per cent, more than 20 per cent lower than votes polled in Dum Dum LS polls though polling in the two seats were held the same day. Polling booths for both by-election and LS polls were also held at the same venues.

In Murshidabad LS 76.49 per cent polls were recorded while 73.68 per cent votes were polled in Bhagawangola by-election.

When elections for the two seats are held the same day under the same parliamentary seat the differences in polling percentages between an Assembly and a LS constituency raises eyebrows of poll analysts in the city.

An analyst requesting anonymity felt that the difference in poll percentage between Baranagar Assembly by-elections and Dum Dum LS looks interesting because people have cast their votes through EVMs on the same day and at the same booths. For Bhagawangola, under Murshidabad LS area, the difference in percentage of votes has also been noticed, he felt.

On the other hand, there have been differences in percentages of polling figures given by the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday and Monday, respectively in the last phase of election in nine seats, Basirhat, Barasat, Dum Dum, Kolkata Uttar, Kolkata Dakshin, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, Joynagar and Mathurapur, held on Saturday.

According to the figure released by the CEO office on Monday, there has been an increase by around three per cent on an average as compared with Sunday’s figure in polling percentage in the nine seats.