SEC beefs up vigil, CCTV at all booths; 23,500 cops to be deployed

Kolkata: The stage is set for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls on Sunday in which about 40,48,357 electors will decide the fate of 950 candidates. Voting will be held in 4,959 polling stations spanning across 1676 premises. The total number of male and female electors are 21,17,840 and 19,30,444 respectively. The State Election Commission (SEC) has made extensive arrangements, including CCTV surveillance in all polling booths, for ensuring free and fair elections.

Leaving no stone unturned to ensure peaceful polls, the Kolkata Police has heightened vigil across the city and its neighbouring areas, including initiating stringent checks at hotels and various entry points.

Officers of the force have been visiting hotels and guest houses in the metropolis to keep a tab on the number of guests who have checked-in and those due to arrive in the next two days, a senior police officer said.

In this year's high-octave poll battle among the candidates, the maximum number — 16 are contesting in ward 39 under Borough IV while the lowest number of candidates in the fray are from ward 142 under Borough XVI where there are only three candidates.

Among the major political parties, only the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fielded candidates in all the 144 wards. The BJP is contesting in 142 wards while the CPI(M) is contesting in 96 wards and the Congress is making its presence felt in 121 wards. The total number of independent candidates is 378.

The BJP is reeling under the shock of the Assembly election results where despite its vaunted ambitions, the party managed to win only 77 seats in the 294 member House.

The saffron party did not win a single Assembly seat in Kolkata as well as in Jadavpur and Behala.

The party's senior leaders like Amit Shah had trumpeted its predictions of winning more than 200 seats. Seven BJP candidates suffered humiliating defeats that led to forfeiting of their deposits.

Meanwhile, taking extra precautions to avoid a surge in cases, directions have been given to all concerned authorities to strictly follow Covid-related health protocols. The voters will have to undergo thermal checking before entry into the polling station. Masks and gloves (for the voting hand) will be provided to the voters.

Covid positive individuals can cast their votes from 4 pm to 5 pm which is the last hour stipulated for voting. The Commission has made arrangements for 32 ambulances, two in each of the 16 boroughs to transport Covid positive persons to the polling booth and then back home.

As per the database of the Commission, 107 Covid positive voters are expected to cast their votes. The highest number of 21 persons is expected from Borough VIII who have consented to vote despite being Covid positive.

The SEC has made extensive security arrangements for ensuring peaceful elections. There will be CCTV surveillance in all the polling premises with at least one armed police in a polling premise. The total number of police force deployed will be 23500, including 5000 from the state police. There will be 286 sector mobiles, 72 RT mobiles, 35 Heavy Radio Flying Squad (HRFS),78 Quick Response Team (QRT), 18 special QRT, 6 river patrols, 200 police pickets and 25 naka checking points.

The SEC will have special security arrangements for the 1139 sensitive booths spread across 786 premises on the poll day with special QRT deployment, more deployment of armed police and an officer in the rank of Inspector and above will be manning these booths.

According to sources in the SEC, the highest number of sensitive booths — 250 — is located in Borough VII followed by Borough I where there are 112 booths and Borough III with 100 booths. The lowest number of sensitive booths — 22 — are located in Borough XIII.

The total number of polling personnel engaged are 25826 among whom only 70 are female.

The Rapid Action Force of Kolkata Police has started route march for area domination from Friday. Kolkata Police will impose Section 144 of CrPC from 5 am to 7 pm on Sunday, making it illegal for more than four people to gather on the road.

All places within 200 m of each of the polling premises, which will have multiple polling booths, will be under prohibitory orders.

The State Election Commission issued a fresh order stating that no security personnel accompanying any candidate or agent or any elector should be permitted to enter the polling station. Only security personnel of Z plus protectee can enter a polling station in plain clothes and arms kept in a concealed manner.