Phase 1 will decide electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women candidates (File)
New Delhi:
As West Bengal and Assam go to polls for the first phase of Assembly elections that begin today, here’s a look at some important statistics:
In West Bengal, 30 seats are going to polls in the first phase, which includes all constituencies in Purulia and Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur.
The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women candidates.
In the first phase, the total number of general electorates is 73,80,942 in which there are 37,52,938 male voters, 36,27,949 female voters and 55 of the third gender. The total number of service electors are 11,767.
As many as 1,23,393 electors are aged 80 years and above. Further, 40,408 electors are of “Persons with Disabilities” (PwD) category. The list also includes three overseas electors.
The Election Commission has determined 10,288 polling stations, in which 8,229 are main and 2,059 as auxiliary.
The Commission has appointed 21 general observers, nine expenditure observers and seven police observers.
For the first phase, 730 coys of central forces including 92 for Bankura, 169 for Purba Medinipur, 139 for Paschim Medinipur, 186 for Purulia and 144 for Jhargram have been deployed.
Further, there are 10,288 Control Units, 10,288 Ballot Units and 10,288 VVPAT. The commission has also made arrangements for 2,560 reserved Control Units, 2,787 reserved Ballot Units and 3,492 reserved VVPAT.
In Assam, 47 constituencies across 12 districts are going to polls in the first of the two phased poll for a total of 126 member Assam Assembly.
A total of 264 candidates are in the fray from 47 seats – 42 seats from 11 districts of Upper Assam and northern Assam region and five seats from central Assam’s Nagaon district going to polls in the first phase.
The first phase poll includes incumbent Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Majuli constituency.
Among the other key constituencies in focus in Assam is Jorhat in which Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami is in poll battle from Jorhat.
The fate of Assam Gana Parishad’s (AGP) Atul Bora is also at stake. The AGP is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party while senior Congress leader Ripun Bora is trying his luck from the Gohpur seat.
Lurinjyoti Gogoi, president of newly-floated regional political party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) will contest from two seats – Duliajan and Naharkatia which will go to polls in the first phase.
The fate of jailed anti-CAA activist and chief of another newly-floated party Akhil Gogoi from Sibsagar will be decided in the first phase.
Mr Gogoi, a peasant leader, is in jail since December 2019 in connection with a National Investigation Agency (NIA) case for his role in the anti-CAA protests in Assam. He was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A total of 375 companies of security personnel including both central and state armed police forces have been deployed in the state.
Of the total 375 units, 300 will be active during the first phase. These companies include the Central Armed Police Force (CRPF), State Armed Police (SAP) of other states and Assam.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)