LS polls: Security beefed up around collectorate building in Balurghat

Balurghat: Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the security in and around district collectorate building here has been tightened.

As precautionary measures, the district administration has barricaded around 100 metres adjacent to the collectorate building with temporary bamboo fencing. According to an official source, all poll-related activities will be carried out from the office of district administration.

Adequate policemen will be deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident. According to the guidelines of Election Commission of India, no contesting candidate will be allowed to take out a procession while submitting nomination papers.

"Stress has been given on ensuing free and fair poll in the region. No political party will be given permission for procession from March 28 onwards to April 4.

Instructions have been given to police to check the entry of the candidates from the main gate of district administrative building with not more than three vehicles at a time," said an official.

Sufficient Central Reserve Paramilitary Forces will also deploy the area. District Election Officer and district magistrate Deepap Priya P recently conducted a high-level meeting with the police officers and the representatives of various political parties.

A clear message has been delivered through this meeting that the district administration is determined to strictly implement EC norms.

The border close to neighbouring Bangladesh is sealed.

The candidates can submit the nominations between March 28 and April 4. Balurghat will vote on April 23, the third in the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls. On April 5, the nomination papers will be scrutinised while the last day of to withdraw candidature is April 8. The closing day for campaigning is scheduled on April 21. A total number of 14, 27, 567 people are expected to vote this year.

Four major political parties —The Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and the RSP — are in the fray. Arpita Ghosh will contest once again from Balurghat seat on Trinamool ticket. Ghosh defeated RSP's Prasanta Kumar Majumdar in 2014 to break the Left citadel.

This time, RSP has fielded Ranen Barman, who had won 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004 LS polls from Balurghat seat while the BJP and the Congress have fielded Sukanta Majumdar and Sadik Sarkar as their candidates. Both Majumdar and Sarkar are new faces.