It is Ali versus Ali in the Raiganj Lok Sabha segment where elections will be held on Friday.
Congress candidate Imran Ali Ramz has a rival contestant called Imran Ali who filed nominations as an Independent.
“In the course of my campaign, I found that there is an independent candidate Imran Ali on the list. I suspect it is a ploy by the BJP to eat into my votes. I apprehend that a section of electors will vote for him in a hurry, instead of voting for me,” said Ramz, who is backed by the Left Front.
Although Ramz’s name will be above on the candidates’ panel on the EVM as he represents a national party, the Congress leadership in the North Dinajpur district was not ready to take any chance.
“The moment we learnt that there was another candidate Imran Ali, we started telling voters that they should read the full name of Victor (as Ramz is popularly known) and check the symbol. They should not vote in a hurry,” said a Congress functionary in Raiganj.
Left leaders, who have campaigned for the Congress candidate, are equally apprehensive.
“It is a common strategy to field an independent candidate who bears a similar name to a prominent political party’s nominee to cut down the latter’s votes. The BJP seems to have adopted it. We have cautioned our workers and supporters that they should check the symbol and then press the button,” said a CPM leader.
Twenty candidates are in the fray in Raiganj which has 17,90,512 electors and 1,730 polling booths.
According to administration sources, around 10,000 polling personnel will be engaged to conduct the voting. Also, 111 companies of central forces will be deployed in the constituency.