Kolkata/Jhargram: An unusual scene unfolded during polling in West Bengal on Thursday when an elephant wandered near a polling station in Jhargram, drawing crowds even as voting continued in a crucial first phase of the Assembly elections.

The incident was reported from Jitusol Primary School, where the animal was spotted outside the booth. Locals gathered in large numbers to catch a glimpse, with many recording videos that later went viral on social media. While no untoward incident was reported, authorities remained on alert as polling proceeded.

The unusual distraction came as voting began at 7 am across 152 constituencies in the state, covering more than half of the total 294 seats in what is being seen as a decisive opening round. Long queues were seen outside polling booths from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in the north to Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and Hooghly in the south.

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The phase is being closely watched as a key test for both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, with over 3.60 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to participate in large numbers.

"Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections takes place today. I urge all citizens to participate in this festival of democracy with full strength. I especially appeal to my young friends and to the women of West Bengal to vote in large numbers," Modi said on X.

Authorities have deployed a massive security apparatus, including around 2.5 lakh central forces personnel and thousands of surveillance teams, to ensure peaceful polling across sensitive districts.

The first phase also holds strategic importance, particularly in north Bengal, a region that played a crucial role in the BJP’s rise in previous elections. Key candidates in the fray include Suvendu Adhikari, Nisith Pramanik, Udayan Guha, Goutam Deb and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The second phase of polling will be held on April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.