West Bengal Bypolls: Nandigram, Rejinagar to Vote Under Tight Security

A total of 71 companies of central forces will be deployed across the two constituencies, with 37 companies assigned to Nandigram and 34 to Rejinagar.

State police personnel will also be deployed at polling locations. Officials said 1,519 state police personnel will be involved in the security arrangements, including 819 in Rejinagar and 700 in Nandigram.

Around 24 per cent of the polling stations in both constituencies have been identified as sensitive. Nandigram has 323 such booths, while Rejinagar has 315.

Central forces will be stationed at all polling booths and will also form part of Quick Response Teams, according to officials from the Chief Electoral Officer's office. All polling booths in the two constituencies will have 100 per cent webcasting.

Voting will take place on Tuesday, with counting scheduled for October 9.

Nandigram is witnessing a four-way contest involving the BJP, Congress, the Democratic Trinamool Congress led by Ritabrata Banerjee and the CPI.

The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of the late Chandranath Rath, who had served as personal assistant to former West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and was killed in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on May 6.

The Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress is not contesting the Nandigram bypoll after its candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination.

The bypoll became necessary after Suvendu Adhikari won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the Assembly elections earlier this year and subsequently retained Bhabanipur, leaving the Nandigram seat vacant.

Rejinagar, meanwhile, is witnessing a multi-cornered contest involving the BJP, Aam Janata Unnayan Party, Congress, All India Trinamool Congress, Democratic Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party.

The bypoll was necessitated after Aam Janata Unnayan Party candidate Humayun Kabir won both Naoda and Rejinagar in the Assembly elections and chose to retain Naoda.