Sixth phase: EC to deploy 779 companies of Central forces

Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) has decided to deploy 779 companies of Central forces for the sixth phase of the election in which 43 constituencies across four districts are going for polls on April 22.

The Commission has laid special emphasis in the deployment of forces in Barrackpore Police Commissionerate area as it had witnessed sporadic violence during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The highest deployment of the Commission — 278 companies will be in North 24-Parganas district where 17 constituencies will go for polls on Thursday.

There will be 181 companies in North Dinajpur district, 163 companies in Nadia district and 157 companies of Central forces in East Burdwan district.

Apart from 17 constituencies in North 24-Parganas, 9 constituencies each in Nadia and North Dinajpur and 8 companies in East Burdwan district will have polls on Thursday— the sixth phase.

About 107 companies' Central forces will be deployed only for Barrackpore Commissionerate — much higher than the average deployment all through the other constituencies.

Bongaon Police district in North 24-Parganas will have 69 companies while Barasat Police District will have 59 companies and Basirhat will have 40 companies.

The Asansol Durgapur Commissionerate under East Burdwan district will have 14 companies of Central forces.

About 306 candidates are in the fray on Thursday's elections. The total number of booths in this phase is 14,480 of which 10,897 are primary booths and the rest of the 3,583 are auxiliary booths. There are a total 10,387,791 voters in this phase of which male voters are 53,21,385 and female voters are 50,66,150. The number of third gender voters is 256. There are 22,156 service voters in this phase and 15 people have registered themselves as NRI voters.