State police not allowed within 100 mts of polling stations: ECI

Kolkata: The Election Commission will deploy Central Forces in all polling booths spread over 23 districts across the state that goes to polls in eight phases from March 27. The Commission will not allow the presence of state police within 100 meters of the polling stations and the onus of security will be entirely on the Central Forces.

"The sector officers, during their movement on the polling day, will be accompanied by Central Forces in the Junglemahal classified as LWE (Left wing Extremist ) district in election parlance which includes Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and parts of West Midnapore. The quick response team (QRT)—at least four for each of the 294 Assembly constituencies— will also have personnel of Central Forces," a senior official of the Commission said.

The total number of polling stations in the state went up to 101916 from 77413 during the last Assembly polls in 2016 due to COVID-related protocols. The EC has already prepared the deployment plan of CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) for the upcoming polls.

The highest deployment of Central Forces of 955 companies will be witnessed in the fifth phase elections on April 17 when 45 ACs Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and parts of North 24-Parganas, Nadia and East Burdwan will go to polls.

"We are determined to conduct free and fair elections in the state," added the EC official.