Kolkata, June 18 (UNI) Nearly 70 percent of the total 2.5 lakh electors cast their votes peacefully in West Bengal's Kaliganj assembly seat bypoll amidst rains on Thursday, official sources said.



They said some 69.85 percent electors exercised their franchise upto 5 PM in 10 hours since polling began at 7 AM.



Polling was by and large peaceful with no such untoward incident as some 14 companies of Central para-military forces were on guard in the 309 booths.



The voting began at a very slow pace in the early hours following inclement weather and continuous monsoon rains, but the voters gradually started coming to the polling booths..



The poll officials barred all the voters from taking mobile phones inside the booths. The mobiles had to be deposted against a token and returned after the casting of vote.



The contest is restricted to three candidates - TMC , BJP and Congress Left Front combined.



TMC's candidate Alifa Ahmed, BJP's Ashis Ghosh and Congress' candidate Kabil Uddin Sheikh are the contestants.



The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed earlier this year.



The result is expected on June 23. UNI PC SSP