All security arrangements in place for counting process

Alipurduar/ Cooch Behar: The results of the by-elections for the Madarihat Assembly Constituency in Alipurduar and the Sitai Assembly Constituency in Cooch Behar will be declared on November 23. The counting of votes for both constituencies will begin at 8 am, with seven candidates in each constituency awaiting their fate.

According to the Election Commission, all preparations, including security arrangements, have been completed for the counting process.

In Madarihat, political parties are awaiting the outcome with heightened anticipation. The BJP is confident of retaining the seat for the third consecutive time, while the TMC, which has never won this seat, is hopeful of securing a victory. Political observers believe that the women voters played a crucial role in this by-election, with voter turnout reaching 66.33 per cent across 226 booths, out of a total of 220,342 registered voters. The contest has drawn significant attention, with a two-way battle emerging between TMC’s Jay Prakash Toppo and BJP’s Rahul Lohar.

Subhra Nandi, officer-in-charge of the Election Commission in Alipurduar, confirmed that all preparations, including stringent security measures, have been set in place for the vote count. A total of 200 counting personnel will be involved in the process, using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to tally votes across nine rounds at 28 tables at the Madarihat election strong room at Alipurduar Indoor Stadium.In Sitai, the counting of votes will begin at 8 am at the Dinhata College counting centre. Sources from the Election Commission stated that 12 rounds of counting will be conducted across 25 tables. One company of the Central Armed Police Forces will oversee security, with additional support from state police.

A voter turnout of 70.30 per cent has been recorded in Sitai, where the contest is also largely seen as a two-way battle between TMC’s Sangita Roy and BJP’s Dipak Kumar Roy.

Sangita Roy, TMC’s candidate, expressed confidence in her party’s victory, stating: “We are certain of winning this seat. Our work for the people has earned their support, and we expect to win with a significant margin.” In response, BJP’s Dipak Kumar Roy remarked: “The people are disillusioned with the TMC government due to its corruption.

They are ready for a change and we are confident that the BJP will win this seat.”