With the state’s rural bodies going to elections on 14 May, campaigning for the three-tier West Bengal panchayat polls ended on Saturday evening. The counting of votes will take place on 17 May.
While the campaigning was marred by clashes between supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP, the ground situation remains tensed amid reports of pre-poll violence from various districts.
The West Bengal State Election Commission has started operating a control room (033-22805803 and 033-22805804). People can call up on the numbers for any poll-related query or problem. An election cell has been set up in Nabanna, the state secretariat, which will keep in touch with the control room.
The Trinamool Congress has already won hundreds of seats in the three-tier panchayat elections uncontested, setting a record of sorts for winning most elections without a contest. As a result, elections are required in only 66 per cent of the total seats.
A look at the important facts and figures
* 31,836 gram panchayats, 6,158 panchayat samitis and 822 zilla parishads across 20 districts are going to polls
* Number of eligible voters: 5,08,35,002
* Polling time: 7 am to 5 pm
* Re-polling, if any, will be held on May 16. Re-polling will be ordered where polling percentage is 15 per cent more or less than the average polling percentage of the tier of the block concerned
READ | Rural Bengal goes to polls tomorrow in 66% of total seats
* This is the first time in Bengal panchayat polls that people will be able to cast votes by showing Aadhaar cards
* Other documents voters can show (apart from EPIC): Driving licence; service identity cards with photographs issued to employees by state, Centre and undertakings; passbooks with photographs issued by banks or post office; PAN card; MGNREGA card; health insurance smart card; pension documents; SC/ST/OBC certificate; freedom fighter identity card; arms licence with photograph; physically disabled certificate with photograph.
* Nearly 71,500 armed police personnel, 80,000 civic volunteers and 1800 personnel from other states deployed. One armed personnel and a lathi-wielding constable have been deputed in each of the 47,451 booths.
* 2.4 lakh polling personnel will carry out the exercise across 20 districts
* There will be 190 observers, including 20 special observers who will monitor and ensure peaceful polling
* SEC control room numbers: 033-22805803 and 033-22805804
READ| Hundreds of live bombs found near Trinamool leader Arabul Islam’s home
District-wise details
Birbhum: The zilla parishad has 42 seats, and none will see any contest. The Panchayat Samiti has 465 seats, of which 405 are uncontested. Gram Panchayat has 2,247 seats with 1,967 uncontested.
Burdwan West: Trinamool Congress has won one out of total 17 zilla parishad seats, 95 out of 161 panchayat samiti seats, and 532 out of 833 gram panchayat seats, uncontested in this district
Purulia: All 38 Zilla Parishad seats are going to polls in the district.
READ | TMC wins record 20,000 panchayat seats without contest
South 24 Parganas: As many as 28 of the 81 Zilla Parishad seats have gone to TMC without any contest
Hooghly: 1,358 out of 3,192 gram panchayat seats, 261 out of 607 panchayat samiti seats and 13 out of 50 zilla parishad seats are uncontested in the district
Nadia: Three out of 47 zilla parishad seats, 82 out of 541 panchayat samiti seats and 518 out of 3,209 gram panchayat seats will see no contest
Burdwan (East): 17 out of 58 zilla parishad seats, 396 out of 618 panchayat samitis and 2,096 out of 3234 gram panchayat seats are uncontested.
Bankura: There will be no contest for 31 out of 46 zilla parishad seats, 341 out of 535 panchayat samiti seats, and 1593 out of 2505 gram panchayat seats in this district.