Kolkata/Guwahati/New Delhi: Fate of 264 candidates in Assam and 191 candidates in West Bengal were sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines in the first phase of Assam and West Bengal Assembly Elections, today.
In Assam some important candidates in the fray today included Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Majuli (ST) seat and is locked in a direct contest with three-time former Congress MLA and former minister Rajib Lochan Pegu; Speaker Hitendranath Goswami from Jorhat; Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia from Nazira and and state Congress president Ripun Borah from Gohpur.
In West Bengal, most of the constituencies polling today were in the once-Naxal- affected Jungle Mahal region. Last time in 2016, the Trinamool Congress had won 27 out of the 30 seats here.
The election was conducted across 21825 Polling Stations spread over 77 Assembly Constituencies today. The voter turnout reported by 5pm from the 30 Assembly Constituencies of phase 1 in West Bengal was 79.79% while it was 72.14% as of 5pm in the 47 ACs of phase 1 in Assam.
Today a total number of 167 cases of Model Code of Conduct violations were reported through the cVIGIL app from West Bengal out of which 111 were disposed as of 4.30 pm. Similarly 582 cases were reported from Assam with 423 disposed till 4.30 pm.
Nearly 74 lakh electorates across 10,288 Polling Stations of 30 Assembly Constituencies were registered to exercise their franchise in the first phase in West Bengal, while a total of 81lakh electorates were registered across 11,537 Polling Stations of 47 Assembly Constituencies in Assam. The number of Polling Stations had increased in view of the fact that the number of voters per polling station has been reduced from 1500 to 1000 keeping social distancing norms in view.
As a major push in conducting free and fair elections, live monitoring and webcasting mechanism for more than 50% of Polling Stations including critical and vulnerable polling booths was put in place to ensure safe and secure atmosphere in polling areas.
Commission, CEOs, DEOs, Observers could watch live streaming and keep a close watch on these polling booths in Assam and West Bengal. Webcasting arrangements were put in place for 5392 Polling Stations in West Bengal and 5039 Polling Stations in Assam.
As an initiative towards inclusive and accessible elections, the option of postal ballot facility had been extended to Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens above the age of 80 years, COVID-19 suspect or affected persons and persons employed in essential services. The Observers were specifically asked to oversee arrangements for facilitation of these voters.
For handholding and for guidance of the poll going states the Commission also directed Special Observers to have additional role in supervising deployment of forces and their randomization for poll duties.
All the Polling Stations were directed to follow COVID-19 Safety protocols. Accordingly it was ensured that the Polling Stations were sanitized one day prior to poll and facility of thermal scanning, hand sanitisers, face masks were also made available at the Polling Stations. Proper arrangements for social distancing were put in place. Nodal Health Officers have been designated for State, district and Assembly Constituencies to oversee COVID-19 related arrangements and preventive measures during the entire electoral process.
Since the date of notification of Election till first phase, record seizure of Rs. 281.28 Crore has already been achieved for both the states, the Election Commission said. The seizure figure, which includes seizure of cash, liquor, narcotics, freebies etc, is more than four times higher than the total combined seizure of Rs. 60.91 Crore in GE LA 2016. The Commission has been laying specific emphasis on inducement free elections and curbing the malaise of undue money power, liquor, freebies. Till date Rs. 97.31crore has been seized in Assam (as against a total seizure of Rs. 16.58crore in LA 2016) and a total of 183.97crores for West Bengal (as against a total seizure of Rs 44.33crore in LA 2016). Total 53 & 85 Expenditure Observers have been deployed in Assam & West Bengal Assembly Elections, 2021 respectively for effective monitoring. In Assam, 603 Flying Squads (FS) and 762 Static Surveillance Teams (SST) were operationalised to check movement of cash, liquor, drugs & freebies. The figures of FS & SST deployed in West Bengal are 1137 & 1012 respectively. In Assam, 06 Air Intelligence Units (AIU) of IT Department are set up at Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur & Lakhimpur. In West Bengal, 03 Air Intelligence Units (AIU) of IT Department are set up at Kolkata, Andal in Durgapur and Bagdogra.
– global bihari bureau
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