Kolkata, May 5 (UNI) After weeks of intense canvassing by political parties to woo voters despite the sweltering heat, the campaign drums feel silent at 5 PM Sunday in four Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal slated to go to the hustings on Tuesday.
The stage is set for the third phase election in the state for Malda (Uttar), Malda (Dakshin), Jangipur and Murshidabad where over 7.3 million electorates are eligible to exercise their franchise on May 7.
Exactly 73,37,651 voters, including 26,12,395 women and 154 transgenders, will have to pick the winners from a pool of 57 aspirants in the four Lok Sabha seats.
Though the field appears large, the real contest is likely to revolve around three political forces – ruling Trinamool Congress, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left-Congress combine in the two contiguous bordering districts of Malda and Murshidabad.
Among those who hit the campaign trail for BJP are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and MP Abhishek Banerjee campaigned vigorously for the party candidates. The Congress-Left combine has concentrated mostly on door-to-door campaigns besides holding small meetings.
While the TMC and BJP are contesting in all four seats, Congress has put up candidates in three constituencies and CPI(M) in one
In Malda Uttar, sitting BJP MP Khagen Murmu is facing off against former IPS officer and Trinamool Congress candidate Prasun Banerjee, who joined the TMC immediately after quitting the police service. The Congress has nominated Mostaque Alam .
Sreerupa Mitra Chowdhury, also known as Nirvaya Devi, represents BJP in Malda Dakshin, contesting against Shanawaz Ali Rehan of the TMC, while Isha Khan Choudhury is from Congress.
The Jangipur Lok Sabha seat has a significant legacy linked to the late President Pranab Mukherjee. who won from the constituency in 2004 and 2009. Khalilur Rahman of TMC, the incumbent, faces competition from BJP’s Dhananjay Ghoh and Congress’ Mortazza Hossain in a triangular fight. fight.
Murshidabad seat is likely to see competition among CPI-M’s state secretary Mohd Salim, Trinamool’s Abu Taher Khan, and BJP’s Gouri Shankar Ghosh.
Abu Taher Khan is the incumbent MP.
Nearly 334 companies of Central Armed Forces are being deployed to man 7360 polling booths. Besides over 10,000 state police personnel will be on duty outside the designated booths.
Malda (U) has 1812 polling stations. Malda(D) has 1759, Jangipur has 1851, and Murshidabad 1938 polling stations.
A maximum of 114 companies of CAPF are being deployed in Murshidabad, where violence is often reported and even this week, crude bombs were discovered at various places.
Malda Uttar has total 18,12,035 electors, including 9,15,835 women and 53 transgender, Malda (D) has 17,82,159 voters, of whom 8,82,587 are females and 48 transgender, Jangipur has 18,05,360 electors, of whom 8,88,085 are women and 23 transgender. The electorate strength of Murshidabad is 18,88,097, including 9,25,888 women and 28 transgender.
