Campaigning ends for 1st phase of polling in 3 LS seats

Kolkata: Campaigning for three Lok Sabha seats in Bengal - Cooch Behar (SC), Jalpaiguri (SC) and Alipurduars (ST) - going to polls in the first phase on April 19 came to an end at 6 pm on Wednesday.

Woes of the tea garden workers and recognition of the Rajbanshis are among the common key issues in the three seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held public rallies in support of their respective party candidates.

In the first phase, a total of 56,26,108 voters - 28,62,494 men, 27,63,506 women and 108 third-gender - are eligible to exercise their franchise in 5,814 booths. Altogether 14 candidates, including sitting MP and Union minister Nisith Pramanik, are contesting the parliamentary elections from Cooch Behar. The TMC has fielded Jagadish Chandra Burma Basunia from the seat, while the Forward bloc nominated Nitish Chandra Roy and the Congress named Pia Roy Chowdhury.

About 12 candidates are in the fray in Jalpaiguri with the TMC fielding Nirmal Chandra Roy, BJP nominating Jayanta Kumar Roy and CPI(M) Debraj Barman. In Alipurduar, there are 11 candidates, including Prakash Chik Baraik of the TMC, BJP’s Manoj Tigga and Mili Oraon of the RSP.