Just a day before the Bhawanipore bypoll takes place on 30 September, the areas in this constituency got flooded along with several other parts of the city after a torrential rainfall over the night. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation informed it has deployed its teams from the drainage department to ensure water recedes before tomorrow’s election.

Kolkata got flooded more than once in the recent weeks where rains lashed city streets leading to heavy waterlogging and subsequently resulting in disruption of the public transport, as was again observed today.

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However, an urgency today became apparent as the KMC board member in-charge of the drainage department, Tarak Singh rushed to waterlogged Bhawanipore to monitor the situation and ended up warning the borough executive engineer for what he alleged was a “careless attitude” in not taking measures to drain the stagnant water even though water was receding from adjoining areas.

The chief minister Mamata Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, is a candidate as she tries to win a seat to continue as CM after losing to BJP candidate and now Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram. This bypoll has hence gathered much attention with controversial events leading up to the election tomorrow which includes a letter from the state chief secretary to the EC stating that delay in holding bypoll to Bhawanipore seat may perpetuate a “constitutional crisis” in the state.

However, matters grew serious when the Election Commission today became reportedly worried after large parts of Bhawanipore went underwater. KMC sources said the EC officials enquired with the civic body about the extent of
waterlogging in the assembly constituency areas.

The civic body has deployed suction pumps in Bhawanipore to drain water while boats have been kept ready in case of heavy rainfall tonight. The Kidderpore area, a part of which falls under the Bhawanipore constituency, too, was heavily waterlogged.

A booth in Ward No.77 at Ibrahim Road was apparently inundated. The EC has provided covers for the EVM machines to protect damage from water. Singh said that water will recede by tonight unless there is heavy rainfall and the river is in spate.

Most parts of the city, including the College Street to Muktaram Babu Street, Thanthania, Shukaria Street, Girish Park, Shovabazar, Ultadanga, Patipukur Underpass in North Kolkata and Behala, Haridebpur, Jadavpur, Taratala, Tiljala, Netaji Nagar, Park Circus, Garden Reach area in South Kolkata were submerged. The people had to brave the water to reach their working places.