The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is believed to have an edge over the BJP and the Left-Congress combine.
The bypoll to the Maheshtala assembly seat will be held on Monday amid tight security days after over a dozen people were killed in the May 14 panchayat polls in West Bengal.
Officials said three to four paramilitary personnel have been posted at each of the 43 highly-sensitive polling booth along with two policemen. Two paramilitary men and one policeman each will man the rest 200 booths.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is believed to have an edge over the BJP and the Left-Congress combine.
“We are confident of winning. Like in the rest of Bengal, there has been so much development in Maheshtala. People are experiencing it: water, electricity, paved roads,” said TMC candidate Dulal Das, the death of whose wife, Kasturi Das, necessitated the polls.
BJP candidate Sujit Ghosh, a former CBI officer, expressed fears of possible booth jamming and rigging. “I have heard a group of youths have been asked to cast 15 false votes each for the ruling party. I fear booth jamming and rigging. I have asked for videography… so that one person cannot vote twice.”
“If one lobs a bomb in the morning in a neighbourhood, who will come out to vote. While genuine voters will not dare to come out, the miscreants will have a field day.”
The Left candidate, Prabhat Choudhury, who used public transport for campaigning, said people are looking for a change. “People are not happy with TMC.”
Kasturi Das had won the seat with 93,675 votes in 2016. CPM’s Samik Lahiri got 81,223 and BJP’s Kartik Chandra Ghosh 14,909 votes.