Elaborate security arrangements for 2nd phase of polling in Assam, Bengal tomorrow

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the second and final phase of assembly elections in Assam, and the second part of first phase in West Bengal.

In Assam, 61 constituencies covering lower and central parts of the state will go to the polls in this phase.

Additional Director General of Police (DGP) L.R. Bishnoi said adequate security measures have been taken in Bodoland Territorial Council area. The central armed police forces will be deployed at polling booths and security has been increased in Indo-Bhutan border areas.

In West Bengal, polling will be held in 31 constituencies spread over Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Burdwan districts.

The central armed police forces will handle the situation inside the booths, while the state police forces are involved in other jobs like maintaining queues and managing crowds.

Two-phased polling was announced for 126-member Assam assembly; polling in 294 constituencies of West Bengal will be held in six phases.

Nazrul Islam, Rockybul Hussein, Nilmoni Sen Deka from Congress; Himanta Biswa Sarma, Ranjit Kumar Das and Siddhartha Bhattacharya of BJP; AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal; and LDP chief Pradyut Bora are prominent among others candidates whose fate will be decided by over 1 crore 4 lakh electorates in Assam.

The Election Commission has deployed 916 Micro Observers., while 505 polling booths will be covered by web casting system.

In all, 350 companies of central security forces, already camping in the area since the April 4 polling, have been put in place to ensure peaceful polling.

Inter-state borders along Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar have been sealed and aerial surveillance will begin from today as parts of the constituencies spread in Paschim Medinipur and Bankura have been categorised as very sensitive from the security angle.

Online monitoring through mobile van mounted live feeding cameras and CCTVs will be done by the Election Commission.

Over 70 lakh voters will decide the electoral fate of 163 candidates in tomorrow's voting in Bengal.

All the seats are mainly poised to see a triangular contest between the ruling Trinamul Congress, the BJP and the Left-Congress combine candidates. Congress' 10-time MLA and former minister Gyan Singh Sohanpal and state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh are locked on Kharagpur Sadar seat, while prominent CPI (M) candidate Surjya Kanta Mishra and Congress leader Manas Bhunia are trying to retain Naraingarh and Sabang seats, respectively.

Pingla, Bishnupur and Asansol Uttar are also the key constituencies as prominent members of the outgoing Mamata cabinet are locked in three-cornered fight.