(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Polling has begun in three North Bengal seats, including the strategically crucial Darjeeling, ahead of the second round of the Lok Sabha elections, which will take place nationwide on Friday (April 26). The voting process began at 7 a.m. and
is anticipated
to run until 6 p.m.
The remaining two constituencies are Balurghat and Raiganj. Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP state president running for re-election from the Balurghat seat, will face senior TMC politician and Minister Biplab Mitra in the second round.
Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri were among the three major Bengal seats polled in the election's first round.
While violence marred the first round of the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal,
a 77% voter participation was recorded
till 5 p.m.
Several injuries were recorded
as TMC and BJP activists battled, mainly in the violently charged Cooch Behar seat.
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Darjeeling Constitution
The Darjeeling hills are preparing for another election as attention turns to the long-pending demand for an independent state of Gorkhaland. Darjeeling, sometimes known as the "Queen of the Hills," is well-renowned for its tea, wood and tourist sectors.
The constituency is presently up for a four-cornered race, with sitting BJP MP Raju Bista running against party MLA from Kurseong, Bishnu Prasad Sharma, who is now running as an independent when the BJP leadership refused to field a 'Bhumiputra'. Bista,
who
is
supported
by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Bimal Gurung faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), is running for a second term.
Meanwhile, the TMC has nominated Gopal Lama,
who
is
backed
by Anit Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which governs the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Balurghat Constitution
The Balurgat Lok Sabha seat in Bengal's Dakshin Dinajpur district will be contested
between BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who is seeking re-election, and TMC contender Biplab Mitra, a member of the TMC government.
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Majumdar made his political debut in 2019 and won the seat from TMC's Arpita Ghosh with 5,39,317 votes, a 33,293-vote margin. Balurghat was once a bastion of Left Front constituent RSP, which held the seat consistently from 1984 to 2009, but now faces a three-way race with Left-Congress alliance candidate Joydep Siddhanta in the running.
In the 2021 assembly elections, the TMC won four of the Balurghat constituency's seven
assembly
seats, while the BJP won three.
Raiganj Constitution
In Raiganj, the BJP has fielded Kartick Paul against Trinamool Congress' Krishna Kalyani, who was once a BJP MLA but converted to the TMC. The seat was historically recognised as a Congress stronghold and was home to the late former Union Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi.
In
the 2021 Assembly elections, the Trinamool won five seats, including Islampur, Goalpokhar, Chakulia, Karandighi, and Hemtabad.
The BJP won two: Kaliaganj (SC) and Raiganj.
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