Around 730 companies of CAPF have been deployed for the 30 Assembly constituencies across five districts that will go for the first phase of polls tomorrow. The force deployment states that 659 companies would be deployed exclusively for the polling process. Along with this, there will be around 1,200 state police personnel though central forces would be deployed within 100m of the polling booths.

In Bankura, the first phase of polls will be held in four constituencies for which 83 companies have been deployed. In Jhargram, polls will be held in four constituencies and 144 companies have been deployed. In West Midnapore, there are six constituencies and124 companies have been deployed. Polls will be held in all the nine constituencies of Purulia and 124 companies have been deployed.

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Finally, in East Midnapore, polls will be held in seven constituencies with 148 companies. Sources said that efforts are on so as to ensure law and order as well as to prevent any untoward incident. In the first phase Pataspur, Khejuri, Saltora, Raipur, Lalgarh, Jhargram, Salboni, Garbeta, Balarampur and Kashipur are the sensitive areas and additional security measures have been taken for these areas.

The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates including 21 women. Some prominent names in the first phase of polling include Srikanto Mahato, Rajib Lochan Saren and Uttam Barik of Trianmul Congress and Rabindranath Maity, Chandana Bauri and Rajib Kundu from BJP.

Congress has fielded five candidates for the first phase -Nepal Mahato from Baghmundi, Shiu Maiti from Bhagabanpur, Uttam Banerjee from Balarampur, Manas Kumar Karmahapatra from Egra and Partha Pratim Banerjee from Purulia.

During the day, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar appealed to voters to exercise their Fundamental Right to vote and elect their representative. “Every vote nurtures democracy! Your vote is the strongest brick in nation building! Your vote shapes your future! ….  I appeal to every voter in the State of West Bengal to go ahead and exercise their fundamental right to vote. Right to vote affords great opportunity to elect Members of Legislative Assembly who will be guiding destiny of State for 5 years….  I particularly appeal to the FIRST TIME VOTERS to participate in the greatest and the most significant democratic event and avail the opportunity to be participant in shaping their destiny…. I appeal to you all to positively cast your vote. By casting your vote, you will be a proud contributor to success of spirit of our Democracy. Your vote will help fulfill aspirations of all and realise your dreams. We must all remember that the Right to Vote is a sacred right and carries with it a great responsibility,” Dhankhar tweeted.

In 2016 Assembly elections, Trinamul had won 27 out of these 30 seats and BJP was not a major player but the party has gained in strength in the past five years and has emerged as the main Opposition. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had won 18 seats against TMC’s 22.

Out of the total 73,80,942 voters, 37,52,938 are male and, 36,27,949 are female; third gender voters are 55. Total service voters are 11,767. The number of polling stations will be 10,288. Main polling stations are 8,229 and auxiliary are 2059.

The number of recognised national and state political parties in the first phase are 10 and other registered political parties besides recognised national and state parties are 48. In the first phase, AITC (All India Trinamul Congress) will have 29 candidates, BSP 11, BJP 29, CPI 4, CPI(M) 18, INC (Indian National Congress) 6, AIFB 2 and RSP 1. There will be 20 general observers, nine expenditure observers and seven police observers for the first phase tomorrow.