Amid TMC-BJP turf war, Cooch Behar voters have one wish: Peaceful polling

The other two seats going to polls in the first phase are Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases in West Bengal, which has 42 seats.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik, who won from Cooch Behar in 2019, is seeking a reelection from the seat and is pitted against TMC’s Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia. However, it is his alleged rivalry with North Bengal minister and TMC’s Dinhata MLA Udayan Guha which has hit the headlines many a time in Cooch Behar.

A few days ago, Guha alleged that his car was attacked by Pramanik’s supporters in Dinhata area of the district. In March, Pramanik had accused Guha’s supporters of targeting his vehicle which had resulted in a scuffle between TMC and BJP workers. In the backdrop of such incidents and the death of four people in firing allegedly by central forces in Sitalkuchi during the 2021 state Assembly election, voters urged Election Commission and state administration to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.

“During polling, most violence is seen in villages. In many places, it is a result of instigation and provocation. We don’t want to see any bloodshed during the election. We hope the authorities will take necessary steps to ensure we can exercise our franchise without fear,” said Dipali Barman, a local resident.

“The BJP candidate is known across Cooch Behar while the TMC candidate is popular only in Sitai constituency. That’s why veteran TMC leader and state minister Udayan Guha was more active during campaigning. The contest has become a prestige fight between the Union and state ministers,” said Shyamal Kumar Sharma, a local toto driver.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Cooch Behar district magistrate and District Election Officer, Arvind Kumar Mina said, “We are fully prepared to conduct the polls in an efficient manner. There are a total of 2,537 polling booths in this constituency. Central armed forces have been deployed in every booth. Webcasting will be held in 100 per cent booths. The Election Commission has provided a list of dos and don’ts. We will ensure that polling will be held in a free, fair and peaceful manner.”