Candidates in Purba Bardhaman look after booth management, logistics, spend time with their families ahead of polling

By Pragya Kaushika
Purba Bardhaman (West Bengal) [India], April 21 : A day before their electoral fates will be sealed in the sixth phase of assembly polls, candidates on eight seats of Purba Bardhaman spent the day taking stock of their preparedness, spent time with their families or took care of polling day logistics.
Some candidates also caught up with their friends after a hectic campaign schedule. Some others took care of booth management to ensure that there are polling agents on every booth in the elections which is being keenly fought.
Rana Pratap, BJP candidate from Mangalkot was seen coordinating with law enforcement agencies and party workers. Mangalkot assembly of Purba Bardhaman district is considered to be a sensitive seat in Purba Bardhaman district.
Sources said that Pratap received sensitive information that there could be disturbance during voting and he alerted the authorities about any such possibility.
"It is a struggle to get the agents on all booths. People fear for their lives. I am spending the day at the office to see that our polling booths do not remain without agents. We are talking to those who can be brave and sit to represent us," he said.
Prof Gobardhan Das, BJP MP from Purbasthali Uttar, decided to connect with friends on Wednesday.
"I went to Shiv Mandir, rested a bit, watched some news and then spent some quality time with friends," Das, a professor at JNU, told ANI.
Rabindranath Chatterjee, sitting TMC MLA and also the party candidate from Katwa, took stock of tomorrow's polling at party office.
"I went to party office and took stock of preparedness for tomorrow. After that, I went home to spend some time with the family," Chatterjee said.
TMC had won 14 out of 16 assembly seats of Purba Bardhman district in the last assembly polls.
Mahendra Konar, BJP candidate from Bhatar, said the battle is on till voting is over. He called party workers to ensure that all 300 plus booths should have polling agents of the party.
"I went and met a large number of all karyakartas. Those who I could not meet, I called. There is no option of resting a day before polling," he said. The seat was won by TMC in 2016 elections.
Kalita Majhi, BJP candidate from Ausgram, was brooming the verandah when ANI reached her house. She had cleaned the house, prepared food and washed clothes.
"Household chores are equally important. I am finishing pending chores as I did not get time while campaigning," said Majhi with a smile.
The sixth phase of polling will be held in 43 constituencies in four districts and will decide the fate of a total of 306 candidates
Among the 43 constituencies, eight are in Purba Bardhaman. The elections for the first five phases have already been completed. Polling for the seventh and the eighth phase will be held on April 26 and April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
The Election Commission had extended silence period for the sixth phase of polls.