Bengal bypolls: Voting gets underway in Nandigram, Rejinagar constituencies

Voting is underway in the West Bengal Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar under heavy security, with peaceful polling and strong voter turnout reported. BJP is seen as having an advantage in Nandigram after the Trinamool candidate's withdrawal.

Kolkata: Voting was underway in two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal — Nandigram in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district — under an unprecedented security cover.

The polling process has been peaceful till the time the report was filed. The polling process started at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m. From the very first hour, enthusiasm was witnessed among voters in both seats, with long queues at the various polling booths in both constituencies.

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The results for the by-elections will be declared on October 9.

With Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate from the former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Mamata All India Trinamool Congress at Nandigram, withdrawing her nomination at the last moment, political observers feel it will be a cakewalk victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Hasi Rani Rath.

Dey is the mother of Late Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated on the road in Madhyamgram on May 6. A sympathy wave is likely to work in her favour.

Nandigram is all set to witness a four-cornered contest among the BJP, Congress, Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress and the CPI. CM Adhikari, who is a voter in Nandigram, is expected to reach the concerned polling booth to exercise his mandate at around 10 a.m.

The total number of candidates in Nandigram is 16. The number of voters in the by-election is 2,66,419 — male voters 1,38,955; female voters 1,27,463; and one is a third gender voter. Of the 323 booths, the police have identified 85 as sensitive.

A tough contest is expected in Rejinagar where over 65 per cent of the voters are from the minority community. Rejinagar is all set to witness a six-cornered contest this time involving the BJP, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), Congress, Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, Democratic Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).

The total number of candidates in Rejinagar is 14. The total number of voters there is 2,56,546. There are 1,33,925 male voters, 1,22,616 female voters and five are third gender voters.

A total of 71 companies will be deployed for the bypolls to the two Assembly constituencies — 37 in Nandigram and the remaining 34 in Rejinagar.

According to police sources, a total of about eight kilograms of explosives were found in their special operations in different areas of Rejinagar on Monday. A search is underway to find out who was involved in the incident. Apart from this, the police have filed 78 cases under non-bailable sections since the announcement of the elections. They have arrested 99 people as a precautionary measure.

In the Assembly polls earlier this year, Suvendu Adhikari was elected simultaneously from Nandigram and Bhabanipur in South Kolkata. However, he decided to retain Bhabanipur, thus necessitating bypolls for Nandigram.

On the other hand, the AJUP candidate Humayun Kabir won both the Naoda and Rejinagar Assembly seats in Murshidabad district. Later, he chose to retain Naoda, thus necessitating a bypoll for Rejinagar.