By Admin 
BJP on Friday released its election manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly elections, which the party has named ‘Bharosa Patra’. Union Home Minister Amit Shah released this manifesto at a program organized in Kolkata. All major sections including women, youth and farmers have been kept in mind in the manifesto. It also includes promises of many schemes and cash assistance.
Voting for assembly elections took place in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on Thursday. Till 6 pm, 89.87 percent voting took place in Puducherry, 85.91 percent in Assam and 78.27 percent in Kerala. After bumper voting, the fate of the candidates is now sealed in EVMs. Now people are waiting for Bengal elections and voting in Tamil Nadu.
Bengal: Kolkata Police takes strict action before elections, orders patrolling at night
Kolkata Police has increased strictness to maintain law and order before the assembly elections in West Bengal. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand has instructed senior police officers to patrol the streets from 10 pm to 2 am. In the meeting held on Thursday, the Police Commissioner asked the officers to be actively present and inspect the areas during night time. He asked to ensure strict monitoring in all election related matters, so that after understanding the seriousness of the incidents, necessary instructions can be given immediately.
City Joint Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner level officers were also present in the meeting. They have also been instructed to monitor the entire operation by being present during night patrolling and naka checking. Senior officers have been asked to work in coordination with the central forces. Before the assembly elections, special emphasis is being laid on investigation and monitoring of sensitive areas.
Voting will be held in two phases on 294 assembly seats of West Bengal on 23 and 29 April. Voting will be held on 11 seats of Kolkata on 29th April, while the counting of votes will take place on 4th May. At present the police system of the state is under the control of the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, after the unrest during the nomination of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Bhawanipur, the Election Commission had also questioned the Police Commissioner’s ability to handle law and order. After this, Ajay Nand held a special meeting with the officials at Lalbazar headquarters regarding security arrangements. It is noteworthy that before the elections, the Election Commission had removed Supratim Sarkar from the post of Kolkata Police Commissioner and appointed Ajay Nand.
At the same time, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed displeasure over the role of police on Thursday. It is alleged that he did not get adequate security during his nomination march. In this situation, Kolkata Police has appealed to the public to maintain peace and assured that voting will be conducted in a fear-free and fair environment. Strict action will be taken against any kind of disturbance or attempt to jam the booth. The police have appealed to the people to vote without fear and said that if anyone is stopped from voting, then immediately complain to the nearest police station.
After the elections in Assam, Himanta claims – the government will be formed again.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed satisfaction over the voting percentage in the assembly elections held on Thursday. He said that the enthusiasm shown especially among the Hindu and indigenous communities shows a strong commitment to the democratic process. After the completion of voting, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a clear increase in participation has been seen among local and indigenous voters. Describing it as a positive sign for democracy, he said that such active participation strengthens the electoral system and reflects public confidence in governance.
The Chief Minister said that the increasing voting percentage is an indication that people are now more aware and eager to exercise their democratic rights. He said that the peaceful voting and enthusiasm of the voters reflects the vibrant democratic culture in the state. Sarma also expressed confidence about the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance and said that the alliance can win more than 90 seats in the 126-member assembly. He said that the public support received from various areas clearly indicates that the public mandate is in favor of the ruling coalition.
The Chief Minister also said that more voting will strengthen the democratic system and a more representative government will be formed. He said that the final results will reflect the aspirations of the people of the state, as this time Assam witnessed one of the highest participation elections in recent years.
According to the Election Commission, this time there was a record voting percentage of 85.38 percent in Assam, which is more than the previous record of 84.67 percent in 2016. Officials described the voting as overall peaceful, with only minor incidents reported from a few places. According to preliminary data, the participation of women voters (85.96 percent) was slightly higher than that of men (84.80 percent), while the percentage of third gender voters was 36.84 percent.