Himalayan Times (1952)

January 20, 1052

ifUmitlaijau (Time*

Three

POLLING ENDS IN KALIMPONG

OLD WOMEN SALUTES “BULLS”

(Ii/ our Staff Reporter)

Kalimpong, January, 13.

POLLING in Kalim-
pnng for the election
of the State’s representa-
tive to Parliament and
the West Bengal Legisla-
tive Assembly began hero
today at S a. m. and with
an hour’s break at noon
continued up to 5 p. m.

Kahmpong Oonsti-
tueney comprising of
Kalimpong and Goruba-
than police stations covers
an area of 420 square
miles. The population totals
nearly 90,000 of whom
42000, are electors. There
were 34 polling stations &
out of which 7 were with
double booths. All the
bo ths were situated at
a convenient points.

This constituency is
a single seated one: The
two candidates for the
seat are: Sri CL S. Bhan-
dari (congress) and Lalit
Bahadur Kharga (commu-
nists).

As provided for and
under the rules framed by
the Government of India
there were no meeting
and canvassing during the
day. There was also no
display cf posters near
the polling stations. ,

Provision cf transport
for the voters by candi-
date has been made a
corrupt practice under the
rules and as a result, the
electors went\to polling
stations on foot though
some cars were seen en-
gaged in carrying voters
to the polling booths.

On visiting six polling
stations, I in town and 2
in rural area, earlier in
the morning 1 was struck
by the quiet atmosphere in
which polling was taking
place, 3 of them had not
even a single voter.

Except an agent %f
the candidate -and /the
candidate himself no out-
siders were allowed in the
booth. At each booth
there were 4 oflicers under
a Presiding officer.

Before a voters ente-
red a polling booth a
Identity slip with his
numbers on the Electoral
Roll was handed to him
by an polling officer sta-
tioned outside* the room.
With this slip he entered
tin*. Assembly section of
the booth where his iden-
tity was checked and his
left forefinger examined by
an officer to see if it bare

marks of indelible ink,
The presence of this would
indicate that he had
already voted somewhere.
Afterk^ixamination the fin-
ger was marked with the
ink and the ‘ voter was
given a ballot paper by
another officer.

With the ballot paper
the voter entered a screen-
ed area where two- ballot
boxes with the symbols
of the candidate were
kept, putting his paper
into the box of his favouri-
te candidate he left the
Assembly section and went
to the parliamentary, sec-
tion * where nearly the
same proceedure was gone
through.

Nearly ali the Govern-
ment offices were closed
today. The others gave
their employees facilities
to vote.

Polling was slow in
the mornin'j but became
brisker in the afternoon.
According- to estimates
about 35% of the voters
exercised their franchise.

Available details are :
Kalimpong Town Men
41% Women 24%' Cin-
chona Plantation area 34%
17 Rural centres 27%
Highest recorded poll was
52%, lowest figures from
benculturti centre and
Gielle. Khola which were
7% and 15% respectively.

The dates for tlm count-
ing of votts lias been fixed
for 22nd inst.

(Continued on page j)