Litmus test for BJP, UPA and Babulal in tomorrow's Koderma polling

Koderma/Giridih, Nov 5 (UNI) Polling to the naxal dominated Koderma Parliamentary seat comprising 13,49,091 electors will be held tomorrow, amid tight security arrangements and aaerial surveillance by the IAF.

The poll promises a fierce contest among UPA, BJP and independent candidate Babulal Marandi as well as 11 other contestants, psephologists said.

Polling officers have reached their respective destinations where EVMs would be used in all 1618 polling booths comprising 453 hypersensitive and 554 sensitive ones.

Besides, 33 companies of para-military forces and 13 of the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) companies, thousands of state police peronnel and hundreds of officers have been pressed into service to ensure a smooth election.

Chief Secretary M K Mandal with other senior officials and police personnel, today visited Giridih to review the poll preparations and security arrangements to avoid any hiccups.

Giridih Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Ambastha said helicopters would start their vigil in the area to check infiltration from bordering districts.

Of the total six districts, Dhanwar and Bagodar are considered most insurgent-affected places in which 111 and 184 polling booths have been identified as hyper-sensitive respectively.

The bypoll is being termed a ''litmus test'' to determine the future of Jharkhand politics. Former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, now the president of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, is fighting to retain the seat against the stiff resistance from both BJP and ruling UPA.

Despite all odds, political pundits felt that Mr Marandi might edge past his rivals, albeit by a reduced margin.

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