Ramgarh bypoll today, 144 of 405 booths hypersensitive

RAMGARH/RANCHI: The stage is set for the bypoll to the Ramgarh assembly seat on Monday with the Ramgarh district administration turning extra cautious to ensure that the entire voting process remains hassle-free after Saturday night's shootout in which a Congress worker died in the Patratu area.

The administration on Sunday began despatching a few poll officials bound for hard-to-reach areas amid tight security while the rest will proceed to their destinations early on Monday ahead of the start of the polling. The voting will begin at 7 am and continue till 5 pm, a poll official in Ramgarh said.
While a total of 18 candidates, including 14 independents, are in the fray for the seat, the contest is largely seen between the ruling UPA and the opposition NDA. The UPA comprising JMM-Congress-RJD has fielded Bajrang Mahto, husband of former MLA Mamta Devi on a Congress ticket. Pitted against him is Sunita Chaudhary, wife of Ajsu-P's Giridh MP Chandra Prakash Chaudhary.
In the 2019 assembly election as well, Sunita contested on an Ajsu-P ticket but lost to Mamta Devi.
‘District administration prepared for a free, fair, fearless and peaceful bypoll
After Mamta's conviction in December last year in a rioting case dating back to 2016, the EC announced the byelection when barely 20 months are left for next year's assembly polls.
While the high-pitched campaigning and electioneering formally came to an end on Saturday, both candidates and the political camps on Sunday remained busy in indirect campaigning and fine-tuning booth committees to ensure voting goes in their respective favours.
The voting will take place in 405 booths, of which 244 are classified as sensitive, 114 hypersensitive and the remaining 47 as normal.
Ramgarh deputy commissioner Madhavi Mishra said, "The district administration is fully prepared for a free, fair, fearless and peaceful bypoll on Monday. Polling officials are gradually being dispatched to their respective stations. The administration has tried to make all possible arrangements to provide basic and required amenities at the polling booths."
Notwithstanding the security scare following Saturday night's murder of a Congress worker, which led to a protest against the poor law and order, Ramgarh SP Piyush Pandey said they are on high alert to ensure that no law and order issue occurs during polling day.
Although he didn't provide details on the number of personnel deployed, he said adequate forces have been placed at strategic locations for a fool-proof security cover. The interstate and district borders have been sealed for round-the-clock security at 13 points in the entire constituency. "Surveillance teams, static and flying squads are in place," he added.
Notably, this will be the fifth bypoll in the state since the incumbent ruling coalition came to power in 2019 and all previous four polls were won by the current coalition government.
This time too, the UPA is confident of retaining the Ramgarh seat.