2nd phase of assembly elections in West Bengal & Assam to be held tomorrow

All arrangements put in place for second phase of assembly elections to be held in West Bengal and Assam tomorrow. Road shows, public meetings, fiery speeches marked the end of the high-octane campaign by the ruling TMC and rival BJP for the second phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal, yesterday.

Polling will take place tomorrow in 30 assembly constituencies in the second phase.

 

Nandigram Assembly constituency of Purbo Midnipur district from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking a third term in office, also goes to poll in this phase. For her, and the BJP, the battle for Nandigram is a prestige fight. Because it was the 2007 agitation against land acquisition in Nandigram that catapulted Banerjee to the centre stage of politics in West Bengal, paving the way for the TMC’s victory in the 2011 Assembly polls that ended 34 years of Left Front rule.

 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has completed all preparations for voting. Polling parties will reach polling stations by this evening.

The departure of polling parties for polling stations will be started after some time. Security has been increased in the assembly seats where elections are to be held under the second phase. The borders of the state adjoining other states are being closely monitored.

 

The Election Commission has deployed a large number of Central Armed Police Forces to making a completely peaceful and fearless environment for polling. Vehicles entering the boarders of the district and cities are being checked by security personnel in the presence of magistrate. 

Meanwhile, senior leaders of BJP, Trinamool Congress and Sanyukta Morcha have shifted



their election campaign in those constituencies where polling will take place in the Third and Fourth phase.

 

Moreover campaigning for the second phase of assembly elections in Assam ended yesterday with rain and bad weather playing spoilsport.

 

Over 73 lakh voters will decide the fate of 345 candidates in 39 seats, which will go to polls tomorrow. In the first phase, polling had taken place in 47 seats on March 27.

 

The high voltage campaign saw bigwigs from BJP and Congress touring the state several times in the past week.

 

Most of the seats in the Second phase are likely to see a straight fight between the NDA and Congress led Mahajoth. BJP has fielded 34 candidates, Congress has 28, Assam Jatiya Parishad  -19, AIUDF seven, AGP six and BPF has four candidates are in the fray . For the ruling BJP , ministers Parimal Suklabaidya, Bhabesh Kalita , Pijush Hazarika and sitting MLA Numal Momin would seek re -election. Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sum Ronghang, Siddique Ahmed from the Congress would try their political luck. Senior BPF leader and minister Rihon Daimary is also in the fray from Udalguri seat. Suzam Uddin Lashkar, Siraj Uddin Ajmal would be in the contest for AIUDF. However , this election would not witness participation of former Chief Minister and Asom Gana Parishad leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta who represented Bahrampur seat for last 35 years.

Meanwhile, Joint CEO of Assam Pulak Patgiri said that Braille signage  system to be used during polls for the benefit of the visually impaired voters. Mr. Patgiri said that all necessary steps have been taken in this direction as per the guidelines of the ECI.