Kolkata: The Election Commission on Thursday issued notification for the second phase of polling in three parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal on April 26. Voting will take place in Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat Lok Sabha constituencies in the second phase. "The notification for the three Lok Sabha constituencies going for polls in the second phase has been issued today," an EC official told PTI.
The notable candidates in the second phase are BJP's West Bengal president and sitting MP from Balurghat, Sukanta Majumdar, who is pitted against TMC's Biplab Mitra. In the Darjeeling constituency, the TMC has nominated Gopal Lama against BJP's sitting MP Raju Bista. BJP's Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma, however, has announced that he would contest as an independent candidate against the party's official nominee from the Darjeeling seat.
Sharma had earlier told PTI that he would remain with the BJP while contesting as an independent, and the party can take any disciplinary action it desires, but he does not intend to sever ties with the party on his own. Raiganj MLA Krishna Kalyani has been nominated as the TMC candidate for the Lok Sabha segment. The BJP has fielded Kartik Pal while Imran Ali Ramz, popularly known as Victor, is contesting on a Congress ticket.
The last date for filing of nominations is April 4, while scrutiny and the last date for withdrawal of candidature are April 5 and April 8, respectively. For the second phase of polling, the total number of booths including auxiliary booths in Darjeeling is 1,999, Raiganj (1,730) and Balurghat (1,569), an official added.
"The total number of voters including the third gender is 17,63,443 in Darjeeling, Raiganj (17,89,107), Balurghat (15,60,769)," he said. Meanwhile, seven companies of central forces each have been deployed in Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur and four companies in Dakshin Dinajpur districts, he added.
