KOLKATA: The by-election to Sabang assembly constituency, which will be a crucial test for both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP, will be held tomorrow amidst tight security with eight companies of central paramilitary force personnel deployed for it.
Altogether 245,259 voters will exercise their franchise at the by-poll.
TMC has fielded Gita Rani Bhunia, wife of former Congress leader Manas Bhunia who had defected to the Mamata Banerjee-led party earlier this year necessitating the by-election.
Bhunia had won the seat in last year's assembly poll in the state.
The BJP has nominated Antara Bhattacharya, while the Congress has fielded Chiranjib Bhowmick, a local leader. The CPI(M)candidate Rita Mandal will contest the seat as a Left Front candidate.
Asked about the opposition's demand for deployment of more paramilitary forces, an Election Commission official here said, "The Commission is looking into their demands but nothing has been decided so far. Eight companies have already been deployed." The Congress had fought the 2016 assembly polls in the state in alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front and Bhunia had secured 59.70 per cent votes. The TMC had then bagged 36 per cent votes.
The BJP candidate had polled only 2.6 per cent votes in the 2016 assembly poll.
For the TMC, the by-poll will be a test whether the party will be able to wrest the seat, which is regarded as a Congress stronghold.
The BJP, which has been making inroads into the state, has left no stone unturned to increase its vote share in Sabang.
The by-election will also indicate whether the saffron party's victory in Gujarat will have any impact in the state.
Counting of votes for the by-election will be held on December 24.