KOLKATA: The electoral process is in full swing as voters in the Dhupguri Assembly constituency of West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district exercise their democratic rights during the by-election. Impressively, the polling has transpired peacefully thus far, setting a promising tone for the day. In the initial two hours of voting, a notable 17 percent turnout was recorded.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has mandated stringent security measures for this election. An impressive deployment of 30 companies comprising central armed personnel has been tasked with overseeing 260 polling stations. Additionally, nearly 20 percent of these central armed forces remain on standby, prepared to address any unforeseen contingencies. Overseeing the smooth operation of the polling process are 1,200 dedicated polling officials and staff.

As of 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office in West Bengal had not received any complaints related to electoral misconduct. This contrasted starkly with the recent three-tier panchayat system polls in West Bengal, which were marred by early reports of violence and unrest.

The by-election in Dhupguri was necessitated by the sudden passing of the former BJP legislator, Bishnu Pada Roy, on July 25. Roy had arrived in Kolkata to participate in the monsoon session of the West Bengal Assembly but was admitted to a city-based hospital after experiencing chest pain. Tragically, he passed away shortly after being admitted.

The Dhupguri by-election is currently witnessing a three-way contest among the Trinamool Congress, BJP, and the Congress-backed CPI(M).

The BJP has nominated Tapasi Roy, the widow of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan Jagannath Roy, who tragically lost his life in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Lawaypora on March 25, 2021.

The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, has fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy, a respected professor at Dhupguri Girls College.

Meanwhile, the Congress-backed candidate from the Trinamool Congress is Ishwar Chandra Roy.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Bishnu Pada Roy of the BJP secured victory by defeating Trinamool Congress's sitting MLA, Mitali Roy, by a margin of 4,355 votes. Interestingly, Mitali Roy, who was denied renomination for the by-election, recently defected from the Trinamool Congress to join the BJP, adding an intriguing twist to the electoral dynamics.

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