Lok Sabha Election 2024: Polling for the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election was held on 49 seats across eight states and union territories (UT) on Monday. The states and UTs that witnessed voting as part of phase-5 are -- Maharashtra (13), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (7), Bihar (5), Jharkhand (3), Odisha (5), Jammu & Kashmir (1) and Ladakh (lone seat). The latest phase was yet another significant one for the countrys ruling BJP as 40 out of the 49 seats have incumbent Lok Sabha representatives belonging to the NDA. Though West Bengal witnessed largely peaceful voting in phase 5, sporadic incidents of poll-related violence were reported from various parts of the state. As per the provisional figures released by the office of West Bengals Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 73 per cent of polling was recorded in the state till 5 pm, substantially higher than the average voter turnout of 47.53 per cent (provisional figures) recorded nationally. Maximum polling in West Bengal was recorded in the Arambagh constituency (76.90 per cent). In terms of turnout, the seat was followed by Bangaon, where 75.73 polling was provisionally recorded through the day. Uluberia (74.50 per cent), Hooghly (74.19 per cent), Serampore (71.18 per cent), and Barrackpore and Howrah (both 68.64 per cent) trailed closely. West Bengal Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 5: Fates Of Bigwigs Sealed Voters in West Bengal on Monday sealed the fates of several bigwigs belonging to the BJP and the states ruling TMC. BJPs Arjun Singh, who has switched between the saffron party and the TMC four times in the past five years, was in the fray from the Barrackpore seat, which he won in the 2019 general elections. In his bid to retain the seat, Singh was pitted against West Bengal minister and TMC leader Partha Bhowmick. Meanwhile, the Hooghly constituency witnessed a high-octane battle between two notable actors, sitting BJP MP Locket Chatterjee and TMC candidate Rachana Banerjee. In Bangaon, union minister Shantanu Thakur fought to retain his Lok Sabha seat against TMCs Biswajit Das, a former BJP leader. The electorate of Arambagh, the seat that witnessed the maximum polling in West Bengal, sealed the fates of TMC candidate Mitali Bag, BJP leader Arup Kanti Digar and CPI(M)s Biplab Kanti Moitra, among other candidates. West Bengal Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 5: Allegations Of Inducements, Rigging Amidst the polling, Locket Chatterjee alleged that rigging of votes was taking place at a polling booth in Dhaniakhali, under the Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. "This is Ashima Patras booth. Last time, rigging of EVM happened here. When I reached here rigging was underway peacefully. Some people present here are giving protection, police are not doing anything. They are giving Go Back slogans because we are creating trouble in the rigging process," Chatterjee said. Prior to that, an argument had broken out between the BJP MP and a man claiming to be a polling agent. The incident took place at a polling station in Dasghara High School. Alleging that the person was a TMC agent, Chatterjee later took him out of the polling station. "He was a TMC agent and does not have any documents. He went inside the booth and kept asking people to vote for TMC. Police are not doing anything," Chatterjee said. Meanwhile, Arjun Singh accused the TMC of preventing people from voting at a booth in the Barrackpore constituency. "No one is being allowed to vote here. This means that ground has slipped from beneath the feet of TMC," he said at Ward no.15, Booth number 108 in Titagarh. Singh also accused his TMC rival, Partha Bhowmick, of having distributed money among voters in the run-up to the fifth phase of polling. "A complaint has already been made to the Election Commission...If such things keep happening, it will not be good for Partha Bhowmick (TMC candidate)." West Bengal Lok Sabha Election 2024: Clashes Amidst Heavy Security During the closing hours of voting, clashes between BJP and TMC workers were reported in certain pockets of the Hooghly, Barrackpore, and Howrah Lok Sabha constituencies. According to the Election Commission, more than 57 per cent of the polling booths in West Bengal were identified as sensitive in phase 5. Over 60,000 personnel of central forces, besides 29,172 state police personnel, were deployed in the state for the now-concluded fifth phase, according to an official. (With inputs from agencies)