Bengal by-election: Voting begins in Bhabanipur, two other constituencies


India

oi-Prakash KL

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Kolkata, Sep 30: The voting began for the by-polls in the keenly-watched Bhabanipur assembly seat and two other constituencies at 7 am on Thursday amid tight security and stringent Covid-19 measures.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting in the Bhabanipur constituency as she needs to win the by-election to retain her post as the West Bengal Chief Minister. The counting for all three seats will be held on 3 October.

Bengal by-election: Voting begins in Bhabanipur, two other constituencies

A total 6,97,164 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the three constituencies – Bhabanipur, Jangipur and Samserganj seats in Murshidabad district.

Polls had to be countermanded in Jangipur and Samserganj in April following the death of two candidates. Whereas West Bengal agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopaddhyay resigned from the assembly, clearing the way for Banerjee to contest the by-election from the constituency where she had won twice earlier.

Banerjee was defeated by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari at the Nandigram constituency in the assembly election held earlier this year.

As per the officials, the Election Commission has deployed 72 companies of central forces in the three constituencies, of which 35 are stationed in Bhabanipur alone, as part of its elaborate security arrangements.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed within 200 metres of the polling centres. Long queues were seen since early morning outside several booths across the constituencies. Voting will continue till 6.30 pm.

The polling centres have been stocked up with masks and sanitisers as part of the COVID-19 guidelines, the officials said. Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, is pitted against BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal and CPI(M)’s Srijib Biswas in Bhabanipur. With inputs from PTI.

Story first published: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 8:24 [IST]



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