With the Calcutta High Court rejecting BJP’s plea for central forces and holding State Election Commission ( SEC) responsible for ensuring security for conducting a free and fair poll tomorrow, the entire city and adjoining areas have been put under heightened security blanket with 23,000 police personnel deployed to ensure a trouble-free election.
Elaborate security has been put in place in the entire city with 23, 000 police personnel of which 18,000 from the Kolkata police and 5,000 from the state police were deployed. Besides, teams of QRT ( Quick response team) and HRFS ( Heavy Radio Flying Squad) would also be on duty tomorrow.
According to police alignment, senior officers comprising 10 officers in the rank of Jt Commissioners, 26 deputy commissioners and 71 assistant commissioners would be on duty to man security tomorrow. A total of 50 points in the city has been earmarked to conduct naka checkings. Route marches and raids in hotels, guest houses were conducted to flush out outsiders who can foment trouble.
The city apart, neighbouring districts like Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas too had been put under alert as police had been asked in those districts to prevent movement of “suspicious” persons. As many as 40,48,352 electorates will exercise their franchise in 4, 959 booths set up across the city to elect their representatives for the 144 wards that are going to
polls tomorrow.
According to SEC, 6, 570 EVMs ( electronic voting machines) would be used in tomorrow’s polls for which every polling centre and booth has been put under CCTV surveillance.