Bypoll: 82% votes cast in Kanthi Dakshin

An estimated 82 percent polling was recorded in the by-poll to Kanthi Dakshin Assembly in East Midnapore district on Sunday in a peaceful election, an Election Commission official said.

"Polling was peaceful in the Kanthi Dakshin Assembly today (Sunday). Around 82 percent voting was registered till polling ends at 6 pm," deputy electoral officer Amit Jyoti Bhattacharya said.

There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere during the polling in which 2.5 lakh voters exercised their franchise amid strict security maintained by six companies of central forces accompanied by the state police, Bhattacharya added.

Five candidates battled it out at the hustings: Chandrima Bhattacharya of the TMC, Sourindra Mohan Jana of the BJP, Uttam Pradhan of the CPI(M), Nabakumar

Nandi of the Congress and another candidate from the SUCI(C).

The by-election is necessitated by TMC MLA Dibyendu Adhikari's election to the Lok Sabha from Tamluk seat.

The counting is scheduled to be held on Thursday.

In booth numbers 59, 66 and 197, the poll process began late due to the malfunctioning of the EVM machines. Out of 2,07,337 voters, around 1,06,467 were male and 1,00, 869 female while the number of the third gender was one. The poll was conducted in as many as 258 booths.

Around six company of central forces and 1,000 state police personnel were also deployed to conduct the election. The central force jawans also carried out route marches in various areas so that people could freely come out to exercise their franchise.

Braving the heat, voters came out in huge numbers from the morning. Voters in large numbers were seen standing before all the 258 booths spreading across the constituency as the day progressed.

According to a senior official in the district, a total number of 1,032 persons were deployed on election duty. Around 258 EVM machines were used to conduct the poll.

Apart from TMC, Congress, BJP and Left Front-supported CPI candidate, a SUCI(C) candidate are also in fray.

TMC candidate and senior party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said the RSS and BJP were trying to play communal cards not only in the Bengal but also throughout the country. People will once again defeat the vindictive and communal politics of the RSS and the BJP. District Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that the RSS and BJP have been trying to incite communal violence in the state and people will once again reject them and vote for peace and prosperity.