Central forces to be deployed during WB by-elections

KOLKATA: Central forces will be deployed in West Bengal on November 7 when by-elections to 10 assembly seats take place. These para-military jawans will man all the booths of the 10 assembly segments where elections will take place.

West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) Debasish Sen said altogether 19.56 lakh voters will exercise their franchise during the by-elections. Some 49 candidates are in the fray for the 10 assembly seats. Results of the by-elections will be announced on November 10, he added.

Already 17 companies of central forces have arrived in West Bengal. But these, many would be deployed in Maoist-infested Lalgarh and Jangalmahal and they have nothing to do with electioneering.

Important among the 10 assembly seats is Belgachia East, which was won by former transport minister and CPIM leader Subhas Chakraborty. In fact, Chakraborty had never lost the seat since 1977 when the Left Front government came to power in the state for the first time. After his death, the seat is being fought by his widow, Ramala Chakraborty.

Trinamool Congress has fielded Sujit Bose, a former CPIM activist, who had joined Trinamool Congress and is now the vice-chairman of the South Dum Dum Municipality. Bose won a ward in the civic body during the last municipal elections. Naturally the fight in Belgachia East is now confined between a CPIM candidate and a former CPIM activist who knows the election strategy being followed by the ruling Marxists.

Of the 10 assembly seats, Rajgunj and Belgachia East belonged to the CPIM. Sujapur and Goalpokhor were won by the Congress. Kalchini was the seat where RSP had defeated the Congress during 2006 assembly elections. Contai (South), Egra, Serampore, Alipore and Bongaon were won by the Trinamool Congress candidates in 2006.