Nandigram: The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in Nandigram assembly constituency in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, a day ahead of the high- stakes elections, a senior official said.
"Nandigram is a sensitive constituency with high- profile candidates like Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikary. We want to ensure that the law and order situation is not compromised and people can vote freely without fear," the official told PTI.
"That is the reason for imposing the prohibitory orders, which will be in place till Friday midnight. A person who is not a voter of Nandigram will not be allowed to enter the area till the polling is over," he said.
The order prohibits the assembly of five or more persons, besides imposing other restrictions, he said.
In phase-II, a total of 30 Assembly constituencies from the districts of South 24 Parganas, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur will go to the polls. There are 171 candidates in the fray in phase-II of the West Bengal polls.
All eyes are on battleground Nandigram that is going to the polls on Thursday with the chief minister engaged in a fierce contest with her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP.
Adhikari is the sitting MLA from Nandigram, where he got 67.20 per cent votes in the 2016 assembly elections. The Adhikari family has significant clout in the East Medinipur district of which the Nandigram assembly segment is a part.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!