Bengal by-election largely peaceful

Polling was largely peaceful in the Sabang Assembly bypoll in West Bengal where 83% polling was recorded till 5 pm on Thursday. VVPATs were deployed in every polling station.

A total of 2.45 lakh voters were expected to cast votes in 306 booths. Counting will take place on December 24. In 2016 Assembly poll, the constituency witnessed 89.1% turnout.

The main contenders are Gita Bhunia from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Antara Bhattacharya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Sabang bypolls are crucial as they will be a test for the mettle of Mukul Roy, who switched to BJP from TMC in early November. BJP is banking heavily on the 63-year-old former railway minister to build the party’s grassroots-level reach.

For BJP, Bengal is a focus state for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where the party wants to secure 22 of the 44 seats. It expects Roy to help put in place the machinery by the 2018 rural polls that will be a rehearsal for the LS elections.

TMC nominated Gita Bhunia, the wife of Manas Bhunia, who won the seat in 2016 for the seventh time. In 2016, Manas Bhunia contested as the candidate for Congress-Left alliance. But he later switched to TMC. The seat fell vacant when the party nominated Bhunia in Rajya Sabha.

The BJP candidate, Antara Bhattacharya, was earlier with CPI(M) and served as the sabhadhipati of West Midnapore Zilla Parishad from 2008 to 2013

“People of the area have immense support for Mamata Banerjee. There is no doubt that our candidate will win by a huge margin. It may be higher than mine,” said Manas Bhunia.

Bhattacharya alleged strong arm tactics by the TMC supporters.

“If they are confident about winning why are ruling party workers resorting to violence? They prevented our agents from entering polling stations in several booths, and also abducted one of our leaders from Jalchak,” she said.

“It’s a baseless allegation. Why should we create trouble when we are certain of a big victory?” remarked Manas Bhunia.

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