100 cos of central forces in poll-bound Bengal in early March

At least 100 companies of central forces are likely to arrive in West Bengal by the first week of March ahead of the Assembly election in the state.

“We have information that at least 100 companies of central forces are likely to reach here during first week of March ahead of the state assembly polls,” sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.

This was indicative that announcement of elections in West Bengal and some other states would be done early next month, the sources said.

Preparations are already on in the state since the visit of the full Bench of Election Commission in December.

Ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal, the Election Commission had launched a special drive for ‘purification’ of the electoral rolls by removal of multiple entries, repeat EPIC numbers and entries of the dead voters at Polling Station level.

In the two-week-long drive, District Election Officers (DEOs) have been instructed to prepare a list of deceased persons by compiling information from records of registered deaths maintained by local bodies under their jurisdiction, a release from the Chief Electoral Officer stated.

A thorough check would also be made to identify the dead persons whose names still exist in the Electoral roll of the concerned parts.

In this regard DEOs would also hold meetings with representatives of political parties on Friday to apprise them of the programme, the release added.

In the meetings, the polling station-wise lists of probable repeated entries and voters with repeated EPIC numbers will be checked.