All eyes on Cooch Behar today with highest deployment of Central forces in first phase

The EC has sanctioned 63 companies in Alipurduar and 75 in Jalpaiguri. Apart from the central forces, the poll panel has deployed 4,500 state police personnel in Cooch Behar, 2,454 in Alipurduar and 3,077 in Jalpaiguri.

Around 5,814 polling stations have been set up in the three constituencies, all of which were bagged by the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Of these, 837 polling stations have been marked as sensitive across the three constituencies. Out of the 2,043 polling stations Cooch Behar, 196 have been identified as sensitive, said officials.

While the other two seats remained largely peaceful during the campaigning period, Cooch Behar witnessed sporadic clashes allegedly between the supporters of the ruling TMC and the BJP.  The latest such violence was reported on the last day of campaigning on Wednesday when TMC supporters accused BJP activists of attacking them.

According to sources, the EC on Thursday reportedly directed TMC Dinhata MLA and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha to “not step out of his booth area”, following a complaint by Union Minister Nisith Pramanik, who’s the BJP candidate from Cooch Behar.

Reacting to the development, Guha hit out at Pramanik and accused him of trying to “loot votes”. “I have to follow ECI directives. If there was any violence or trouble where we both were there, then why are the restrictions only on me? Given the kind of violence he triggers, he (Pramanik) shouldn’t be allowed to step out of his house. The BJP asked them (EC) and they have restricted my movement. I can guarantee a more peaceful election if both of our (his and Pramanik’s) houses are searched. I would also want the EC to carry searches at my and Nisith Pramanik’s house. Check if antisocial persons are staying at our houses or if there are any arms or bombs? He wants to keep me confined to my booth to loot the votes as he is all set to lose the election. But he must think about the probable repercussions if I am confined to my booth,” said Guha.

In the first phase of the elections, 37 candidates are in fray. The BJP has renominated Jayanta Roy in Jalpaiguri and Union Minister Pramanik in Cooch Behar, but replaced sitting MP John Barla with the party’s Madarihat MLA Manoj Tigga in Alipurduar.

The TMC has, however, changed candidates in all three seats, fielding Prakash Chik Baraik in Alipurduar, Nirmal Chandra Roy in Jalpaiguri and Sitai MLA Basunia in Cooch Behar. The Left Front and the Congress are fighting in a seat-sharing alliance in the state in the 2024 elections.

“Altogether, 56, 25, 980 voters are eligible to cast their franchise in the first phase of polls. In Cooch Behar seat, there are 19,66,593 while in Alipurduar the total number of voters are 17,73,415. Over 18, 85, 972 voters are in Jalpaiguri,” said an EC official.    —With PTI