Hyderabad: After high-pitched rallies and roadshows, campaigning ended for the sixth phase of West Bengal assembly polls on Monday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not miss even a single platform to launch scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It is also the COVID-19 issue that she used as a weapon against the top BJP leadership.
The polling for the sixth phase will be held in a total of 43 constituencies including 17 constituencies in North 24 Parganas, 9 constituencies each in Nadia and North Dinajpur and 8 constituencies in East Burdwan district.
As many as 306 candidates are in the fray in the sixth phase.
In the sixth phase, 306 candidates will contest in the 43 constituencies across four districts. The total number of booths in this phase is 14,480 of which 10,897 are primary booths and the remaining 3,583 are auxiliary booths.
The number of booths has been increased in this elections because of the Covid situation in the country. There are a total 1,03,87,791 voters in this phase of which male voters are 53,21,385 and female voters are 50,66,150. The number of third gender voters is 256.
Once again parties have ignored the direction of the Supreme court and had giving the tickets to around 28% candidates with criminal cases.
Out of 306 candidates analyzed, 87 (28%) candidates have declared criminal cases while 71(23%) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
Among the major parties, 14(61%) out of 23 candidates from CPI(M) have declared criminal cases while 12(52%) out of 23 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
25(58%) out of 43 candidates from BJP have declared criminal candidates while 20(47%) out of 43 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
24 (56%) out of 43 candidates from AITC have declared criminal cases while 20(47%) out of 43 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
5 (42%) out of 12 candidates from INC have declared criminal cases while 4(33%) out of 12 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
The Election Commission has decided to deploy 779 companies of central forces for the sixth phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal in which voters of 43 constituencies across four districts will exercise their franchise on April 22.
Though the commission has scaled down the deployment compared to the other phases, it has deployed a large number of forces in the Barrackpore constituency that has a history of violence in the last few elections.
According to the deployment pattern laid down by the poll panel, there will be highest deployment of 278 companies of central forces in North 24 Parganas district followed by 181 companies in North Dinajpur district, 163 companies in Nadia district and 157 companies of central forces in East Burdwan district.
