Second phase polling begins in Bengal

Kolkata, Apr 22 (UNI) The second phase of polling in 66 constituencies of four districts here began at 0700 hrs today amid a massive security blanket.

Official sources said no untoward incident had so far been reported from anywhere and the polling was being held peacefully.

Sources, however, said in some booths, polling started late due to technical snag in EVMs.

More than 11.2 million electorate, including 5.3 million women, will cast votes to elect representatives from among 348 aspirants trying their luck. The candidates include 28 women.

Polling is taking place in 12,299 polling stations - 11,160 regular and 1139 auxilliary - across the four districts, for which 14,938 EVMs would be used.

Prominent among those in the Left Front, whose fate will be decided in this phase, are Fire Brigade Minister Pratim Chattopadhaya (Marxwadi Forward Bloc) from Tarakeshwar, Food Minister Naren Dey (Forward Bloc) from Chinsurah, Fisheries Minister (West Bengal Socialist Party) Kiranmoy Nanda from Mugberia and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prabodh Chandra Sinha (Democratic Socialist Party) from Egra and Minister of State for Health Pratyush Mukherjee (CPI-M) from Amta.

Among the Opposition heavyweights, Congress Chief Whip in the outgoing Assembly Asit Mitra from Kalyanpur, veteran Congress leader Abdul Mannan from Chapdani and Trinamool Congress stalwart Ambika Banerjee from Howrah Central seek reentry into the House.

While East Midnapore will have polls for 16 constituencies, Nadia goes to poll for 15, Howrah for 16 and Hooghly for 19.

Even as the first phase of polling ended peacefully with a very high turnout, the Election Commission took no chances in its effort to complete the five-phase process. More than 50,000 Central para military force jawans have swarmed streets and taken position in all the booths.

The EC has deputed 132 observers--two each for 66 constituencies to oversee the polling.

For the first time, the central force jawans have been directed to go door to door asking voters whether they had any fears. In case of any complaints, they will report the matter to the central observer and the District Magistrate through the higher officer for taking necessary measure.

The Election Commission has also directed to ensure hourly visit of all the booths by sector commanders.

''We have made a saturated arrangement with maximum deployment of security force,'' sources in the Election office said.

Altogether 3.52 lakh names have been deleted from the electoral rolls in these four districts following an intensive clean up operation while 72,000 new names have been included.

Udaynarayanpur in Howrah district has the highest number of candidates of 11, while Nabadwip in Nadia, Panchla in Howrah, Jangipur, Singur, Dhaniakhali, Trakeshwar, Khanakul and Arambagh in Hooghly district and Goghat, Ramnagar, Mugberia and Patspur in East Midnapore district have the lowest number of candidates of three each.

There will be no straight contest in this phase.

In the first phase, which went to polls on April 17, an estimated 81 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in three Maoist-dominated districts of South Bengal.

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