Kolkata: Voting for bypolls are being conducted in three constituencies in West Bengal– Samserganj, Jangipur, Bhabanipur. Till 9 am the voting percentage in Bhabanipur was 7.57%, in Samserganj was 16.32% and Jangipur was 17.51%.
The polling began at 7 in the morning. Vote counting will be done on October 3. The election was necessitated due to the resignation of Ms Banerjee’s party leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay to make way for her.
Mamata Banerjee lost Nandigram and doesn’t want to lose again therefore she herself has decided to contest the election. The BJP put up a tough fight there through its Suvendu Adhikari, a confidant-turned-foe of the Chief Minister.
Given the kind of political heat the contest has generated in its run-up, a web of security has been laid over Bhabanipur. Prohibitory orders have been placed 200 metres around polling booths since Tuesday evening, banning more than five people from gathering in the area.
Up to 35 companies of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed, with three personnel to be present at each of the 270-odd booths all of which have been declared sensitive. Mitra Institution, a state high school where Ms Banerjee casts her vote, is among the 13 booths declared “very sensitive”.
The Election Commission has asked the state Irrigation Department to be on alert, given the potential for inclement weather conditions, PTI reported. All polling stations have been directed to keep pumps ready to drain out floodwaters, it said.
There are 1,11,283 male and 95,209 female voters in Bhabanipur. There are four belonging to the third gender.
Besides Bhabanipur, polls will also be held tomorrow in Shamsherganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district.
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