Lok Sabha polls: Campaigning ends in Andamans

PORT BLAIR: Campaigning for election to the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on April 10 ended at 5 pm today.

There are 15 candidates in the fray, out of which five are Independents.

Though a number of parties like NCP, BSP, CPI-M, SP and TMC are fighting the election, it is practically a straight contest between Congress and BJP.

The decisive factor in winning the election is the Bengali voting bloc in the North and Middle Andaman, Tamil voters in South Andaman and the Nicobarese voters residing in the Nicobar group of islands.

There are 386 polling stations for an electorate of 2,57,856.

Congress has fielded Kuldeep Rai Sharma as its candidate while Bishnu Pada Ray, the sitting MP, is the BJP candidate.

Till 2004, the islands remained in the hold of Congress, except in 1999.

In their campaign, the Congress and BJP candidates promised to remove the buffer zone restrictions to give a boost to tourism activities in the islands.

The buffer zone notification ban all sorts of commercial activities in the demarcated areas around the Jarawa Triabal Reserve area.

The parties also claimed that they would control the influx of population by introducing the inner-line permit system, reduction of exorbitant airfare for the islanders, free medical treatment at mainland for the poor people and more employment avenues for the youths of the island.