Bengal bypolls: Counting begins in Bhabanipur

Counting has begun in the three Assembly constituencies of Bhabanipur in Kolkata and Samserganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad on Sunday at 8 am. The counting for Bhabanipur is being held under tight security arrangements at the Sakhawat Memorial School of Kolkata.

The counting will be held in 21 rounds for Bhabanipur, 26 rounds for Samserganj and 24 rounds for Jangipur, informed sources in the commission.

As part of security arrangements, 24 companies of central forces have been deployed at the counting centres. The entire area is also under CCTV surveillance. All officials are only allowed pen and paper. The returning officer and observer, however, are allowed to use phones. Eight CCTV cameras have been fitted in the EVM strong room, and results will be declared after 21 rounds of counting.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed within a 200-metre radius of the counting centres at all the three constituencies that went to polls on September 30. The EC official added that candidates and their agents who have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or have been tested and confirmed negative would be allowed to enter the venue. All offices and agents have been asked to abide by the Covid-19 protocols, he said.

Bhabanipur is of key focus in this by-poll. CM Mamata Banerjee, who lost the Assembly election from Nandigram in the assembly polls held earlier this year, is up against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal and CPI(M)'s Srijib Biswas. To retain the position of CM, Banerjee must win this election.

Meanwhile, in Jangipur and Samsergank, polls were cancelled following the death of a candidate each.

While over 57 per cent of polling was registered in Bhabanipur, 79.92 per cent was registered in Sanserganj and 77.63 in Jangipur.