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Nandigram goes to polls tomorrow amidst unprecedented security
Elections will be held in 30 assembly seats, including Nandigram, spreading across four districts – East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Bankura and the Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas in the second phase on April 1.
West Bengal is all set to witness one of the most high-pitched poll battles in recent times with chief minister Mamata Banerjee taking on her protégé-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram in East Midnapore on Thursday.
Elections will be held in 30 assembly seats, including Nandigram, spreading across four districts – East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Bankura and the Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas in the second phase on April 1 amidst tight security.
Apprehending violence in Nandigram and raising allegations of harbouring criminals, both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party moved the Election Commission of India on Wednesday with specific demands. On Tuesday clashes broke out between the TMC and the BJP at Nandigram.
“Goons from outside have come and have threatened villagers in places like Gokulnagar, Boyal and Balarampur areas in Nandigram. We have informed the ECI. We hope there will be free and fair polls in Nandigram,” Banerjee told reporters before leaving Nandigram on Wednesday morning.
A senior official of the poll panel said that around 650 companies of central forces would be deployed in the second phase to man 10,620 booths across 30 constituencies. In Nandigram alone, where there are 355 polling booths, around 22 companies of central forces have been deployed. This apart there would be thousands of state police – both armed and baton wielding.
“Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPc have been imposed within 200 metres of each polling station in Nandigram and other constituencies as well,” said a senior official.
Besides this there would be aerial surveillance with helicopters, webcasting in at least 75% booths, 22 quick response teams, static surveillance teams, micro-observers. There would be one general observer and one police observer too for Nandigram.
Adhikari, who is a voter of Nandigram, will cast his vote around 7 am, while TMC leaders said that Banerjee would also stay in Nandigram throughout the day and leave for north Bengal on Friday.
On Wednesday, top leaders of both parties engaged with each other while mounting attacks. BJP president JP Nadda said: “People of Nandigram will give a clear message that TMC will be vanquished from West Bengal,” he said.
Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand said: “In Nandigram TMC will get 100 out of 100 votes.”
The BJP has named at least 14 people, including Sk Supiyan, agent of Mamata Banerjee, against whom non-bailable arrest warrants are still pending. The party has also alleged that that there has been large scale infiltration in Nandigram through the waterways to rig polls.
“The ruling party can raise any allegations. The ECI will verify and take action. We welcome the CM’s appeal for free and fair elections. Earlier we used to raise allegations that outsiders were being allowed. This time we are seeing that the ruling party is doing so,” said Jay Prakash Majumdar, BJP’s state vice president.
Of the 30 seats that are going to polls on Thursday, 23 were won by the TMC in 2016. The Left had won five seats while the BJP and the Congress had won one seat each.
On Wednesday, the poll panel removed the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Haldia and the Circle Inspector (CI) of Mahishadal in East Midnapore district.
Also going to polls would be four constituencies in the Sunderbans which were hit by Cyclone Amphan in 2020. Even though the BJP had failed to make any inroads in the delta spread over South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in 2019, this time the allegations of corruption in the post-Amphan period could take a toll on the TMC vote bank.
With all eyes on Nandigram, many popular faces from Tollywood film industry will be contesting in the second phase - Soham Chakraborty and Sayantika Banerjee are contesting from Chandipur and Bankura respectively from TMC while actor Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay from BJP is contesting for the seat in Kharagpur Sadar in Paschim Medinipur.
