After losing in Nandigram in the assembly elections earlier this year, Ms Banerjee has returned to contest from her old constituency Bhabnipur.
Voting began at 7 am on Thursday, September 30, 2021, for the by-election to Bhabnipur seat, where the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee is contesting elections, and in two other constituencies amid tight security and stringent COVID-19 measures, officials said.
Apart from Jangipur and Samserganj seats in Murshidabad district, by-elections are being held in Bhabnipur in South Kolkata.
A total of 6,97,164 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the three constituencies.
The counting of votes will take place on October 3.
Ms. Banerjee, who lost from Nandigram constituency To retain the chief minister’s post in the assembly elections held earlier this year, he has to win this by-election.
Polling in Jangipur and Samserganj had to be canceled in April following the death of two candidates.
on the part of tight security arrangementsOfficials said the Election Commission has deployed 72 companies of central forces in the three constituencies, of which 35 are stationed in Bhabnipur alone.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have been imposed within 200 meters of polling stations.
Long queues were seen outside several booths in all the constituencies since morning. Voting will continue till 6 pm.
The polling stations have been stocked with masks and sanitizers under the COVID-19 guidelines, officials said.
Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, has been pitted against BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal and CPI(M)’s Shreejib Biswas in Bhawanipore.
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