By-elections: Women voters to be a decisive factor in 3 seats

MP, 13 Nov 2024, Kolkata: For the bypolls in six Assembly seats spanning across five Bengal districts on November 13, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will deploy 108 companies of Central Forces while women voters will be a decisive factor in three constituencies. 

A total of 43 candidates are contesting the by-elections which will involve 1,583 polling stations. Madarihat, Naihati and Midnapore Assembly constituencies have a greater number of female voters in comparison to their male counterparts, as per voter list of the Election Commission. 

Madarihat has 119970 female electors against 108367 male, Naihati has 97753 female against 96074 males while Medinipur has 148140 voters of the fairer sex in comparison to 143573 male. 

Bypolls will be held in six constituencies: Naihati, Haroa, Midnapore, Taldangra Sitai (SC) and Madarihat (ST). The total number of electors in the fray are 1522056, of which Sitai has 305565 (highest) electors. 

Poll panel sources said the highest deployment of Central Forces (22 companies) will be at the Taldangra Assembly constituency. Midnapore will have 19, Sitai, Madarihat and Haroa will have 18 companies each. 

Naihati will have 13 companies (lowest). About 102 companies will be manning the booths while the remaining six will be guarding strong rooms. There will be webcasting in 100 per cent of the polling booths. 

The polling booths will be secured by the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs), while state police will handle external security. Among the six seats, TMC had won five while BJP had won Madarihat. 

The Model Code of Conduct has been in effect since October 15. It will remain active until the results are declared on November 23.