Kolkata: Amidst unprecedented security arrangements, voting for the seventh phase of the eight-phase assembly election in West Bengal began on Monday morning in 34 of the state’s 294 constituencies.
During the seventh Phase, total 268 candidates including 37 women will be vying for the 34 out of previously scheduled 36 Assembly seats spread over five districts of West Bengal as the poll process in respect of Samserganj and Jangipur was adjourned by the EC following deaths of the candidates in the two constituencies.
The polling process is already over in respect of 223 out of total 294 Assembly seats in the earlier six phases.
The thirty four Assembly Constituencies of West Bengal going to polls in the seventh phase are: 1. Kushmandi (SC) 2. Kumarganj 3. Balurghat 4. Tapan (ST) 5. Gangarampur (SC) 6. Harirampur 7. Habibpur (ST) 8. Gazole (SC) 9. Chanchal 10. Harischandrapur 11. Malatipur 12. Ratua 13. Farakka 14. Suti 15. Raghunathganj 16. Sagardighi 17. Lalgola 18. Bhagawangola 19. Raninagar 20. Murshidabad 21. Nabagram (SC) 22. Kolkata Port 23. Bhabanipur 24. Rashbehari 25. Ballygunge 26. Pandabeswar 27. Durgapur Purba 28. Durgapur Paschim 29. Raniganj 30. Jamuria 31. Asansol Dakshin 32. Asansol Uttar 33. Kulti 34. Barabani.
The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements with the deployment of central and state forces to ensure a free fare and peaceful poll.
Over 81.88 lakh voters including 39.87 lakh women and 221 third gender persons will decide the fate of these candidates. Total 11,376 polling stations have been set up for this purpose.
The Ruling AITC and Bharatiya Janata Party are contesting for all the 34 seats. Congress, Left parties and their alliance partner Indian Secular Front are fighting under the banner of Sanyukta Morcha. Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded 25 candidates, Congress has 18, CPI (M) – 12, ISF – four, RSP- three and AIFB – one while there are 63 independents along with 74 others are also in the fray.
The prominent candidates participating in this phase include State Ministers and TMC candidates Subrata Saha from Sagardighi, Firhad Hakim from Kolkata Port, Subrata Mukherjee from Ballygunge,Malay Ghatak from Asansol Uttar along with Sovondev Chattopadhyay who is taking on BJP candidate and actor Rudranil Ghosh from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s erstwhile constituency of Bhabanipur.