Inclement weather: EC to help Bhabanipur voters facing travel woes

kolkata: The stage is all set for by-polls in three Assembly constituencies in Bengal on Thursday.

Laying special emphasis on Bhabanipur constituency, the Election Commission (EC) has announced special arrangements for transportation of voters to the polling booths, in case they face any inconvenience due to the inclement weather. The Commission has launched a special helpline number—1950—on which the voters can call or send a message through NVSP (National Voter Service Portal) of the Commission for availing transportation help.

The Commission on Wednesday decided to pump in additional 20 companies of Central forces in Bhabanipur, taking the total count to 35. The additional forces will reach the constituency by chartered flight on Wednesday night. There will be webcasting in all the polling booths with cent percentage coverage by micro-observers in Bhabanipur.

Trinamool Congress candidate Mamata Banerjee is contesting the bypolls from Bhabanipur. By-elections will also be held in Samsherganj and Jangipur Assembly constituencies in Murshidabad.

With heavy rains lashing the city on Wednesday, the state administration is keeping NDRF teams and two boats ready for any emergent situation triggered by hostile weather conditions in Bhabanipur. The Commission has also provided raincoats for the voting personnel.

The nine police stations covering the entire Assembly constituency will be manned by officers in the rank of DCPs in addition to three divisional DCPs. Four Joint CPs and one additional CP will be in command of the police forces. About 13 vulnerable hamlets have been provided with additional police deployment. There will be 38 naka-checking points, nine HRFS and 23 RT vans with rapid action team on standby at all divisions.

The total number of electors, including service voters in Bhabanipur is 2,06,522. There are 5 overseas electors and 4 third genders. The total number of polling stations in Bhabanipur is 287 with 269 main and 18 auxillary polling stations. As many as 12 candidates are in the fray at Bhabanipur.

The Bhabanipur seat fell vacant after Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay resigned to pave way for Banerjee to ensure an unbroken stint as the Chief Minister for the third time.

Banerjee is required to win a seat in the state Assembly by November 5 in conformity with the constitutional provisions to continue as the state's Chief Minister. Banerjee is pitted against Priyanka Tibrewal of the BJP and CPI(M)'s Srijib Biswas.

The Congress has decided not to field a candidate against Banerjee or campaign against her for the first time. The Congress and the Left had fought the Assembly polls in alliance, but drew a blank.