Fourth phase Lok Sabha poll in West Bengal and the fifth phase of Bihar Lok Sabha polls
Election officials demonstrate the operation of Electronic Voting Machine(EVM) during a voting awareness programme at Berhampore in Murshidabad, West Bengal on Monday. (Photo: AP)
Kolkata/Patna: Security has been stepped up for the fourth phase Lok Sabha poll in West Bengal and the fifth phase of Bihar Lok Sabha polls to be held on Wednesday. These are the crucial phases for both the states.
Four of the six seats fall in Jangalmahal where the Maoists ruled till recently.The Left Front is under pressure to retain the six seats of Bankura, Jhargram, Purulia, Medinipur, Bishnupur and Asansol that it had won in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, though with a reduced margin.
Former actresses Moonmoon Sen, Sandhya Roy and singer Babul Supriyo are expected to give a tough fight in three of these six seats.In the 2011 Assembly election, the Trinamool Congress had made deep inroads in the assembly segments falling under these six seats covering the districts of West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura and Bardhaman.
An electorate of 8877071, comprising 4608838 men and 4268191 women voters and 42 from the other gender, are set to decide the fate of 72 candidates. Veteran CPI(M) MP Basudeb Acharia, who is fighting for his tenth term, had won by over 2,30,000 votes in 2004, but it was reduced to around 1,07,000 votes in 2009.
In Bishnupur, the CPI(M) had won by over 3,31,000 votes in 2004, but it came down to 1,29,000 votes in the last elections. The Purulia constituency sent the Forward Bloc candidate to the Lok Sabha with a margin of 19,000 votes only, which stood at over 87,000 votes in 2004.
In Medinipur, CPI had won by over 1,60,000 votes in 2004 while it came down to just 48,000 in the last elections. CPI(M) candidates had the same fate in Jhargram and Asansol seats with the margin going down hugely.
One of the most watched constituencies in this phase is Bankura where Basudeb Acharia is pitted against former actress Moonmoon Sen of Trinamool Congress.
While singer Babul Supriyo is the BJP candidate from Asansol and is said to be giving the TMC's Dola Sen a tough time, former actress Sandhya Roy is fighting from Midnapore against Probodh Panda of CPI.
The BJP is, however, likely to be a crucial factor in at least two seats - Asansol and Bankura, and has generated a lot of interest among the electorate.
Elaborate security arrangement has been made for the election with deployment of central forces, helicopters, bomb detection and disposal squad and anti-landmine devices. Area domination, route marches and flag marches have been set in motion in the entire region and a tight security net has been thrown around especially in Jhargram, Binpur, Bandwan, Balarampur, Jaypur and Baghmundi
Besides this, 10 satellite phones have been provided for authorities to improve communication. In view of the sensitive nature of the region, the EC has reduced polling time by two hours in the assembly segments of Jhargram, Binpur and Bandwan under Jhargram Parliamentary constituency, and Balarampur, Baghmundi and Jaypur under Purulia Parliamentary constituency.
Meanwhile, the crucial fifth phase lok sabha election in bihar on wednesday will decide the fate of ljp president ramvilas paswan and rabri devi, former state chief minister lalu prasad's wife. of the seven constituencies going to the poll, the two most important are hajipur(sc) and saran, both situated in the gangetic plains of bihar, from where ramvilas paswan and rabri devi are contesting. a total 118 candidates are contesting the seven seats.
The other five seats are: Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj and Ujiyarpur. Polling would also be held in Chiraiya and Maharajganj assembly constituencies in this phase. After the end of this round of election, polling will be completed in 34 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.
Five of the seven LS seats going to the poll had been won by JD(U) in 2009 while Saran and Maharajganj had gone to RJD.
Over 1.08 crore electorate are eligible to cast their votes in 9,804 polling stations amidst elaborate security arrangement. The Indo-Nepal border has been sealed for the purpose.
Elaborate security measures have been taken for the smooth conduct of the poll. Two helicopters will be deployed for air surveillance and 66,211 jawans will be put on duty to man the polling stations, state chief secretary A K Sinha said.
A total of 145 companies of the central para-military forces, will also be put on duty besides seven units of the mounted police, 36 motor boats, adequate number of motorized boats and 375 motorcycles for petrolling in riverine areas.
( Source : PTI )
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