BARPETA, Feb 7 � Electioneering in all the four civic bodies under the Barpeta subdivision has reached its climax with heavyweights of all the political parties trying to woo the voters. Altogether 122 candidates are in the fray for the 22 wards under the Barpeta Road Municipal Board and the Sarbhog, Howli and Sarthebari Town Committees, the elections to which are slated for February 9.
At the Barpeta Road Municipal Board, there are 56 candidates for 10 wards. As many as 26 candidates will contest in the four wards under the Howly Town Committee, while 22 and 18 candidates will contest an equal number of wards under the Sarthebari and Sarbhog Town Committees respectively.
The district administration has also prepared for the smooth conduct of the polls. Five zonal and 10 sector officers and 246 presiding officers have been recruited in 55 polling stations. A training programme for presiding officers was organised on February 4.
Attending the training programme, Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka expressed the hope that the polls would be peacefully completed with the help of the polling officials. She also requested the officers to exercise their conscience and privilege up to the maximum level to solve any poll-related problem. Additional Deputy Commissioner Rohini Kumar Choudhury explained the duties and responsibilities of the officials and requested them to perform these in a free and fair manner.
Polling will be held from 8 am to 4 pm on February 9 and the counting of votes will take place on February 12. The Government has declared a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act in the municipal board and town committee areas on the day of polling.
At the Barpeta Road Municipal Board, there are 23,339 voters with 12,479 males and 10,860 females. For the ten wards, polling will be conducted in 30 polling stations. With four wards and ten polling stations, the Howli Town Committee comprises an electorate of 12,221 with 6,272 males and 5,949 females. The Sarbhog Town Committee comprises four wards and 5,783 voters out of which there are 2,971 males and 2,812 females. They will exercise their franchise in seven polling stations. At the Sarthebari Town Committee with four wards and eight polling stations, there are 6,107 voters out of which there are 3,065 males and 3,042 females.
