66.14% voting in first phase, 66.71% in second phase: EC
Voting for the first phase was held on 19th April and second phase on 26th April.
Election commission today declined Governor C V Ananda Bose permission to travel to Cooch Behar tomorrow on security grounds after the constitutional head of the state informed his proposed itinerary seeking the EC clearance on his travel plan, ahead of the polls.
Sources in the know at Raj Bhavan claimed that the poll panel through a mail today advised against the Governor’s plan tomorrow, 48 hours before the polls on Friday.
EC sources said that the Governor’s presence at Cooch Behar there would be in conflict with the MCC (electoral model code of conduct).
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Moreover, the campaigning of all political parties has come to an end and a “silence period” would be in force in all three LS seats in north Bengal, which would go to polls on the 19th.
The source at the CEO office claimed that in the silence period, which would be in force from this evening, none except the voters of that constituency are allowed in the constituency. So his presence there, if any, would be construed as a breach of MCC.
Moreover, claimed an official at the CEO office, there are certain protocols that need to be maintained when a high profile person like the head of the first citizen of the state travels anywhere.
In normal circumstances, when the Governor travels anywhere in a district, the DM and the police super would have to be present to welcome him, adhering to the protocol. But as the DM, who assumes the role as the DEO (district election officer) would be busy in poll-related duty and the police force deployed there on poll duty too would be in short supply, leading to his security being put at risk, hence the permission was denied, claimed an EC source.
On 16 March, the day the Election Commission announced the polling schedule, the Governor said that he would be on the field from day one. “I will hit the streets at 6am. I will be available to the people. The political ‘holi’ with human blood that happened in the panchayat elections last year should not be allowed anymore,” he had said then.
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