103-year-old enclave dweller to voter for first time in Bengal polls

Asgar Ali is 103 but will vote for the first time on May 5 in the final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections when the erstwhile enclaves in the state's Cooch Behar district goes to polls.

"Asgar Ali is a 103-year-old and is a first time voter from Madhya Mashaldanga enclave in Dinhata assembly constituency of Cooch Behar. A total of 9,776 voters in the erstwhile enclaves are eligible to cast their votes across five assembly constituencies involving 38 polling stations," said additional chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar.

The 51 enclaves (which were transferred from Bangladesh) are spread across Mekhliganj, Sitalkuchi, Sitai, Dinhata, Natabari and Tufanganj assembly seats in Cooch Behar district and are home to a population of 15,786, including the 9,776 voters and 922 who opted for Indian citizenship.

In Natabari, there are two enclaves but no people.A

This apart, as many as five model polling stations have been set up across Mekhliganj, Sitai and Dinhata.

"The voters reside mainly across four assembly seats. Special voter awareness camps and mobile museums were organised for them," said Sarkar.

--IANS

sgh/vd