Heavy police deployment was seen outside the polling booths on Sunday as voting for by-elections in West Bengal’s Asansol municipal corporation and Bongaon began amid tight security.
For Asansol, the ruling Trinamool Congress has given the ticket to the current mayor Bidhan Upadhyay. He is facing the BJP's Dilip Chakraborty, CPIM's Shubasis Mondal, and Congress' Somnath Chottopadhyay. Despite being mayor of Asansol municipal corporation, Bidhan had not won polls from any ward. In Bongaon Municipality, the ruling TMC has pitted Papai Raha against BJP's Arup Pal.
The West Bengal state Election Commission had notified on August 2 that by-elections to two municipal constituencies will be held on August 21. The voting will conclude at 5 pm as per the official notification. Asansol is a part of the Paschim Bardhaman district, whereas Bongaon comes under the North 24-Parganas district. As per the State Election Commission, the total number of electors in ward 6 of Asansol are 10,006, while for Bongaon, its 4776.
Voting for civic body bypolls comes weeks after Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested along with his aide Arpita Mukherjee. The arrest and ED's seizure of crores in cash from Arpita's home and raids elsewhere had brought the Trinamool Congress under attack from the BJP. Partha was later suspended as a state minister.
{{/usCountry}}Voting for civic body bypolls comes weeks after Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested along with his aide Arpita Mukherjee. The arrest and ED's seizure of crores in cash from Arpita's home and raids elsewhere had brought the Trinamool Congress under attack from the BJP. Partha was later suspended as a state minister.
{{/usCountry}}Another Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman and its Birbhum district president, Anubrata Mondal, was arrested recently in the multi-crore cattle smuggling case.
(With inputs from ANI)