Bengal bypolls: Counting begins under tight security for 4 Assembly constituencies

Kolkata, July 13 (IANS) Counting has begun for the bypolls for four Assembly constituencies in West Bengal under a tight security cover.

The four Assembly constituencies for which counting is in process are Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, Bagda in North 24 Parganas district, Ranaghat-Dakshin in Nadia district and Maniktala in Kolkata.As per the records in the 2021 Assembly polls as well as the Assembly-wise results in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, BJP is comfortably ahead in Raiganj, Bagda and Ranaghat-Dakshin, while Trinamool Congress is marginally leading in Maniktala.While at Raiganj, Ranaghat-Dakshin and Maniktala, there is a three-cornered contest between Trinamool Congress, BJP and Congress-Left Front alliance, in case of Bagda, there is a four-cornered contest with both Congress and All India Forward Bloc having fielded candidates there.Till the time the report was filed, the counting for the postal ballots started. The counting centres have been wrapped under a three-tier security cover with the innermost tier consisting only of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel.There will be 11 rounds of counting at Ranaghat-Dakshin, 20 rounds for Maniktala, 10 rounds for Raiganj and 13 rounds for Bagda.–IANSsrc/kvd