Campaigning ends for 3rd phase of polling in 4 LS seats

Kolkata: Campaigning for four Lok Sabha seats in Bengal — Malda North, Malda South, Jangipur and Murshidabad — going to polls in the third phase on May 7 came to an end at 6 pm on Sunday, officials said.

A total of 73,37,651 voters, including 36,12,395 women and 154 third-genders, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 7,360 polling stations.

Out of the 57 candidates contesting in this phase, Jangipur has 14, Malda North (15), Malda South (17) and Murshidabad (11), he said.

Murshidabad will witness a key contest between senior CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim, TMC’s Abu Taher Khan and BJP nominee Gouri Shankar Ghosh. In Malda North, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has nominated former IPS officer Prasun Banerjee, while the Congress has awarded the ticket to veteran leader Mostaque Alam and the BJP has selected Khagen Murmu as its candidate. In Malda South, the BJP has fielded Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, the Congress has nominated Isha Khan Choudhury and the TMC has put forward Shahnawaz Ali Raihan. In Jangipur, Khalilur Rahaman from the TMC is competing against BJP’s Dhananjay Ghosh and Congress’ Khalilur Rahaman. Heavyweights such as Union Home minister Amit Shah, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge campaigned for their respective party

candidates.