With the State elections reaching Bengal’s notorious “Syndicate” heartland, the Election Commission of India has made a ‘full-blast’ security arrangement pumping in 672 companies of Central forces alongside some 23,000 State police to man about 12,500 polling booths spread across 49 Assembly constituencies that goes to fourth-phase polling on Monday.
About 1.8 crore voters will elect from a total number of 345 candidates including 40 women even as voting will be held for 49 seats in two districts of North 24 Parganas which has highest number of 33 seats and Howrah which has 16 seats.
Among the notable runners of Monday are Ministers: Amit Mitra, Purnendu Basu, Bratya Basu, Jyotpriyo Mullick, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Aroop Roy. This apart jailed Trinamool Congress heavyweight Madan Mitra is also contesting from Kamarhati seat in North 24 Parganas.
The EC has made special arrangements for three constituencies of Bidhannagar, Rajarhat and Rajarhat-Gopalpur which is hugely crime prone on account of its being the “syndicate heartland.”
In fact Bidhannagar Mayor and Trinamool MlA Sabyasachi Dutta earlier told in a televised interview as to how he had to depend on about 50,000 syndicate-wallahs on election day, in lieu of the year-long protection they get from the Government.
Televised clippings of last year’s civic polls showed how hundreds of goons from the syndicate literally raided Salt lake from all sides beating voters, attacking journalists and rigging the polls.
In an apparent indication that the ECI was taking the syndicate challenge seriously it has posted about 51 companies of Central forces in the three constituencies apart from slapping Section 144 in all the booth areas from 48 hours in advance.
The forces blocked all the entry and exit routes of Howrah and Bidhannagar and were checking all vehicles throughout Sunday.
With the ongoing poll violence having already seen five deaths the Commission is not taking any chances said a senior EC official. “About 75 companies of central forces have been deployed in Howrah commissionerate area while 152 companies have been posted in Howrah rural zone” the official said adding 5,000 State police men will assist the Central forces.
There will be 257 companies of central forces in North 24 Parganas. Barrackpore commissionerate will have 137 companies whereas about 13,000 State police forces will assist the central forces.
The EC has appointed 36 observers for North 24 Parganas and 16 for Howrah, sources said adding there are 2010 sensitive booths in North 24 Parganas and 643 such booths in Howrah. “About 5,000 people have reported to us that they are feeling threatened to go to polls while complaints against 1,537 people have been given for giving threats to voters.
Meanwhile, a team of doctors attending on Minister Madan Mitra who is contesting from jail said there was no need for him to be taken to the Hospital after he complained of chest pain. The Opposition parties earlier complained that the stated “illness” of Mitra was a ploy to get out of jail and control the polls through his goons from the hospital.