Kolkata Police to be deployed in sixth phase election duty
Kolkata, May 10 (UNI) The city police will finally engage themselves in the election duty after the Centre has decided to step up security in West Bengal for the eight seats going to polls in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Sunday.
About 2000 Kolkata police personnel, including traffic police, were sent to the district for election duties.
According to Kolkata Police Head Quarters, Lalbazar, the city police force did not do any duty in the Lok Sabha elections till the fifth phase. But on Thursday they left for Tamluk and Kanthi for election duty.
The Centre has decided to send 602 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (the CRPF, BSF, CISF, SSB, ITBP, RPF, RAF) besides state armed police being deployed for election duties.
Home Ministry sources said that the additional forces are being deployed as the Junglemahal, which covers three Lok Sabha seats of Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram, is Maoist-affected and there have been incidents of violence on the eve of polls as also on the polling day.
The sources said that steps have also been taken to ensure safety of polling parties, voters, electronic voting machines, candidates, polling agents and other poll-related officials on the day of polling.
Personnel deployed in the area have been advised to wear bullet-proof jackets, helmets, carry adequate ammunition and have been alerted about the risk to polling parties during their movement.
Meanwhile, Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain would come to the eastern metropolis on May 12 and hold a high-level meeting the next day ahead of the last phase of elections, an official said..
Jain is scheduled to come here on Sunday late evening, the day on which the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls in eight constituencies will be held in the state.
“Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain will come to Kolkata on May 12. He will conduct the first meeting on May 13 for the seventh phase election regarding the preparedness,” said Additional Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, Sanjay Basu.
However, a BJP delegation led by BJP state vice president Jayprakash Majumdar and members of the coordination cell approached the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday seeking 100 per cent coverage by central forces of polling booths for free and fair election in all the constituencies which are set to vote in the sixth phase on Sunday.
“In the wake of violence in the last few phases of the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, we demand that 100 per cent booths should be covered and protected by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF),” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said in its complaint to the EC.
Image: UNI
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