Stage is st for the for the second phase polling in West Bengal on Sunday. Security has been beefed up with adequate deployment of Central paramilitary forces
In all, 383 candidates including 33 women are in the fray for the 56 seats spread in seven districts.
About One crore 21 lakh people are enrolled for the second round of polling to vote for 5 constituencies in Alipurduar, 7 in Jalpaiguri, 6 in Darjeeling, 9 in Uttar Dinajpur, 6 in Dakshin Dinajpur, 12 in Malda and 11 in Birbhum districts.
More than 13 thousand 600 polling stations have been put up including 311 model booths.
Polling workers were busy throughout the day today collecting poll material and proceeding for their respective destinations from the Sub divisional and block-level centres.
Tension ran high for some hours today at the English Bazar Polytechnic College distribution centre in Malda today when members of a polling party discovered four country-made live bombs in the vehicle allotted to ferry them.
Alarmed by the find, polling workers in large number blocked Malda-Manikchowk state highway, demanding adequate security.
Besides the general and Police observers, 1563 micro observers will keep watch during the poling on Sunday.
The weather officials meanwhile have warned of heatwave conditions during tomorrow’s voting in the entire Birbhum belt and adjoining areas. The climate in north Bengal will be pleasant with heavy showers at some places.
The highest temperature is likely to vary from around 40°C in Kolkata to 45°C in the other southern districts where campaigning is on for the next rounds.
Following repeated complaints received from BJP, Congress and the Left parties, the district chief of the ruling party here has been put under magisterial watch since last night and his movement is guarded by Jawans of Central forces.
He was again issued with a show cause notice today for violation of code and asked by the Commission to remain in his constituency till completion of voting tomorrow, sources said.
A BJP delegation today called on the state CEO in Kolkata and demanded that the West Bengal Chief Secretary be removed from his post for answering a Notice of the Election Commission on behalf of Mamata Banerjee.
The Commission had show-caused Ms. Banerjee for her utterances which were made by her as a TMC leader at an electoral rally.
The delegation insisted that by answering on Ms. Banerjee’s behalf the top official has worked as her party agent.
The Chief Secretary had sent the reply yesterday that Mamata Banerjee did not violate the election code by her speech to make Asansol a separate district.
The decision to this effect was taken by the state cabinet on 18th December and the issue was discussed in the Assembly, well before the election dates were announced.
Another delegation, led by cultural personalities close to TMC, today moved the Commission and asked why all the action are being targeted at the ruling party only.