EC tightens vigil in West Bengal ahead of polls
Senior police officials began visiting police stations across West Bengal from Sunday as the Election Commission stepped up monitoring Assembly poll preparedness and security arrangements in the state, officers said.
During these visits, officers-in-charge at police stations were briefed on measures imperative for ensuring free and fair polling, with a strong focus on maintaining law and order and preventing any form of electoral malpractice.
In line with directives from the poll panel, police commissioners and superintendents of police have started conducting ground-level reviews, an official in the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's office said.
“Senior officers have been instructed to guide local police units to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election,” he said. “The focus is on building confidence among voters and strict enforcement of measures to curb any attempt at malpractice, including booth capturing or intimidation,” the official added.
As part of this exercise, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand visited Bhangar police station and held meetings with officers from the division, briefing them on the Election Commission's guidelines. “Every officer has been briefed. Electors should be able to cast their vote without fear. That is the main objective,” Nand said.
He said multiple confidence-building and preventive measures were being undertaken. “We have taken many measures, such as identifying vulnerable areas, hamlets and persons, and communicating with them,” the police officer said. He said, “To increase police presence and visibility, we are patrolling extensively. Officers are visiting different areas. There is a history of political clashes, but we have to ensure that there is no violence. If there are any signs, we will take preventive action.”
About the deployment of central police forces, the Kolkata police chief said, “CRPF personnel are already deployed... Along with them, our personnel are continuously patrolling areas. We are ready to deal with any eventuality. Officials said the Election Commission has laid down six key directives that include ensuring a polling that is free of violence and inducement, preventing voter intimidation, and curbing booth jamming, rigging and capturing. Senior officers also inspected police stations in the southern suburbs of the city to assess poll preparedness. DIG, Presidency Range, Kankar Prosad Barui, visited Narendrapur, Sonarpur and Baruipur police stations and reviewed security arrangements, particularly in rural booths near Kolkata.
“We have reviewed the preparations following the announcement of the polls. Discussions were also held on measures required to ensure smooth voting. Every aspect has been examined,” Barui said. He added that all personnel must remain prepared for election duty. “The objective is to ensure that elections are conducted in a free and fair manner in accordance with the poll panel's guidelines,” he said.
Election: BLO dies of heart attack
Kolkata: A 54-year-old booth-level officer in West Bengal's Malda district died of a heart attack, with his family alleging that excessive work pressure related to the SIR exercise in the State caused his death.
The BLO, identified as Utpal Thakur, suffered a heart attack at around 10.30 pm on Saturday and later died, one of his family members said. He was serving as a BLO at booth number 93 in Nadapara under the Chandrapara Gram Panchayat in Chanchal-II block, Election Commission sources said. Thakur was a para-teacher at a school.
“He was under immense pressure during the ongoing SIR process. Even after the voter list was published on February 28, those who had been placed in the 'under adjudication' category often came to him and asked whether their names would appear on the supplementary list,” a family member said.
