Sunday, April 16 2006 12:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Amid a poll boycott call by the naxalites and massive security arrangements, 45 seats in three maoist-infested districts West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura will go to the polls in the first phase of assembly election in West Bengal tomorrow to decide the fate of 227 candidates.

Of the 45 constituencies, 21 are in West Midnapore, 11 in Purulia and 13 in Bankura.

Eight seats in these districts, bordering Jharkhand Binpur, Salbani and Garbeta West in West Midnapore, Banduan in Purulia and Ranibandh, Raipur, Simlapal and Sarenga in Bankura are affected by maoist violence.

Prominent candidates whose fate would be decided, include Health minister Surya Kanta Mishra (Narayangarh), Minor Irrigation Minister Nandagopal Bhattacharya (Dantan) and Bilasibala Sahis, Minister of state for Backwarded Classes Welfare from Para constituency.

Ace swimmer Bula Chowdhury is also trying her luck from the Nandanpur seat on a CPI-M ticket.

In view of the maoists' poll boycott call, massive security deployment has been made.

Altogether 250 companies of para-military personnel, including BSF and CRPF, have been deployed in West Midnapore alone, followed by 161 companies in Bankura and 151 in Purulia, official sources said.

Left Front has fielded 43 candidates in the three districts while CPI-M alone has put up 35 nominees.

Trinamool Congress has put up 39 candidates, leaving four to its electoral ally BJP.

Congress, which is fighting the poll in alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Party for Democratic Socialism, has fielded 36 nominees, giving six seats to JMM and two to PDS.

The maoist threat notwithstanding, both the state administration and police are confident that the poll boycott call would not have much impact on voters and massive deployment of security forces would act as a deterrent and instil a sense of security among them.

A visit to some far-flung villages in these districts showed that the voters are in a quandary as to cast their votes or not in view of the boycott call.

Election Commission sources said that polling personnel would be airlifted to some polling booths in interior areas. Helicopters would be used for aerial surveillance.

None of the 45 seats would witness straight fight, while a maximum number of ten candidates are in the fray from Arsa,Jaipur and Hura constituencies in Purulia district.

Daspur, Pingla, Debra, Keshpur, Garbeta(E) Dantan, Kotulpur and Indus would see three-cornered fight.

Medinipur is the largest constituency with 1,83,015 voters.

A total of 7,911 polling booths has been set up in the three districts to enable the electorate to vote.

There are 68,08,072 voters in the 45 seats.