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An uneasy silence hangs over Haral village in West Bengal, once known for lighting up festivities with its firecrackers. Shops are shuttered. Work has halted. Even voices seem subdued.

The party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making gains in a state once beyond its grasp, but many decry an audit that removed nine million voters, many of them Muslim.

Exit polls for five-state elections, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, remain under strict ban until April 29 evening. The Election Commission has warned of legal action against any early release,

In West Bengal, 294 seats are up for the contest and that for Tamil Nadu is 234, making 148 and 118 the majority mark for both the states, respectively.

NEW DELHI-The Election Commission of India (ECI) on April 23 reported record voter participation in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and the first phase of polling in West Bengal, with women voters outnumbering men in turnout in both states.

Post-poll scrutiny in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal completed; no re-polls ordered after thorough verification by the Election Commission.

Campaigning for the second phase of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Election has reached an intense peak, with all major political parties deploying their top leadership across key constituencies.