West Bengal goes to the polls on Thursday, in the first of the two-phase high-stakes, tightly-policed Assembly election, where about 3.6 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in roughly 44,000 polling booths across 152 constituencies in 16 districts. (Pics/PTI)

A charged political atmosphere  and contrasting narratives on women’s empowerment in Jammu was seen as BJP and Congress workers held competing protests over the Women’s Reservation Act. (Pics/PTI)