88 candidates in fray for BTC elections in Kokrajhar district

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, March 28: A total of 88 candidates are in fray for contesting in the forthcoming 3rd BTC elections to be held on April 8 from 12 constituencies in Kokrajhar district.

The Returning Officer, Kokrajhar Thaneswar Malakar, at a press conference held on Saturday at the DC’s conference hall said there were 88 candidates from various partie,s including independent candidates, contesting in the forthcoming BTC elections. He said altogether 93 candidates submitted their nomition papers which included 35 in Kokrajhar subdivision, 10 in Porbhotjhora subdivision and 48 in Gossaigaon subdivision. Five candidates were either rejected or withdrew their nomition papers during the scrutiny or withdrawal of nomitions. He also said on the last date of withdrawal today, four candidates withdrew their nomitions - two in Porbhotjhora subdivision and two in Kokrajhar subdivision. They are, Biswa Kr. Brahma (Independent) and Dilik Kr. Brahma (Independent) in Porbhotjhora constituency and Prasanta Basumatary (Independent) in Dotma constituency and Utpal Das in Baokhungri constituency. He also said among the contesting candidates, 33 are in Kokrajhar subdivision, 9 are in Porbhotjhora subdivision and 46 are in Gossaigaon subdivision.

The Returning Officer said the district had been divided into 28 zones for smooth conduct of elections and it would be looked after by 28 Zol Officers. Besides, there are 79 sectors of which 25 sectors are in Kokrajhar subdivision, 43 sectors and 11 sectors are in Gossaigaon and Porbhotjhora subdivision respectively. These sectors would be looked after by Sector Magistrates who would also responsible for maintaining law and order problem for smooth and free and fair elections.

In Kokrajhar district, the total polling stations (PS) is 754 of which, 317 are in Kokrajhar, 371 in Gossaigaon and 66 are in Porbhotjhora subdivision.

Malakar said the number of sensitive polling stations in Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon and Porbhotjhora subdivisions are 161, 203 and 32 while the number of very sensitive polling stations in the three subdivisions are 80, 91 and 27 respectively. The total number of comparatively safe polling stations is 160 - 76 in Kokrajhar,, 77 in Gossaigaon and 7 in Porbhotjhora and the number of critical polling stations is 51 of which 27 are in Kokrajhar and 24 in Gossaigaon.

The total voters in Kokrajhar is 2,48,340, in Gossaigaon 2,82,354 and in Porbhotjhora the total voters is 55,277, with totals to 5,85,971. He said 850 presiding officers with 364 in Kokrajhar, 310 in Gossaigaon and 76 in Porbhotjhora subdivision would cover the polling stations including an equal number of first, second and third polling officers and 3,500 employees. He also said that three election observers would be in duty at Kokrajhar. They are Tapan Goswami for Kokrajhar, Sheila Rahman for Gossaigaon and Binit Saikia for Porbhotjhora subdivision. He further said CCTV cameras would be installed in the counting halls while the videographer would be engaged in the sensitive and very sensitive polling stations.

Additiol SP, Kokrajhar Surjeet Singh Paneswar said for better coverage the district had been divided into 99 sectors and 41 companies of paramilitary forces (excluding army).  He said three army battalions and two SSB battalions would be pressed into service in the district. He also said that each contesting candidate would be given 2 PSOs. He said there were 737 licensed arms holders in Kokrajhar district of which 578 had deposited their arms. Before the election, four NDFB (S) cadres, three linkmen of NDFB, five MPTF, one MULTA and one NSLA cadre had been apprehended in the past 36 hours and 10 pistols, one  grede, 19 ammunition, two country made guns had been recovered from the militants. He also said they had seized 1,922 litres of illicit liquor. He further said the district shared 66 km intertiol border with Bhutan from Jomduar to Khungring of Chirang district border with Kokrajhar and this stretch had been sealed with SSB.

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