West Bengal goes for fifth phase of polling on Saturday

Kolkata: Security has been beefed up and all arrangements are in place for the fifth phase of the West Bengal assembly elections for 53 seats in 24 Parganas Dakshin, Hooghly and Kolkata Dakshin districts on Saturday.

The polling will be held for 31 constituencies in 24 Parganas Dakshin, 18 in Hooghly and four in Kolkata Dakshin.

About 1.24 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise to elect their representative from 349 candidates, including 43 women, at 14, 642 polling booths, including 1075 model booths and 390 ladies booths.

As many as 680 companies of central forces have been deployed in all the three poll-bound districts for smooth polling. Strict Nakabandi checks are on since last evening in the poll bound districts.

As many as 22,000 personnel of the Bengal Police have also been put on election duty. The Central Security Forces have taken special measures to dominate the 5,298 sensitive pockets by launching day-night vigil and nak-checks.

Among others, Trinamool Congress chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP`s Chandra Kumar Bose and the Left-supported Congress candidate Deepa Das Munshi are in the fray from Bhabanipur constituency in Kolkata Dakshin.