Nominations for West Bengal Lok Sabha seats begin

Kolkata, April 2 (IANS) The filing of nominations for 14 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal began Thursday.

Among the star candidates nominated by the principal political parties are state Congress working president Subrata Mukherjee (Bankura), ailing union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi's wife Deepa Dasmunsi (Raiganj) of the Congress, and Communist Party of India's (CPI) veteran parliamentarian Gurudas Dasgupta (Ghatal).

The last date for filing nominations is April 9. The papers will be scrutinised April 11. April 13 is the last date for withdrawal. Polling in the first phase will be held April 30.

'The superintendents of police in all the districts have been asked to tighten security ahead of the polls,' state Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.

In West Bengal, Maoist rebels are active in three districts Bankura, Purulia and Midnapore (West), while further north the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state and several other local movements are keeping the police on the edge.

West Bengal will have three-phase polls for its 42 seats. The first phase April 30 will cover 14 seats, second phase May 7 will cover 17 constituencies, while the remaining 11 seats go to the hustings May 13.