Sitai bypoll: 16 companies of Central Forces to be deployed

Cooch Behar: In response to previous incidents of clashes between political parties during the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission (EC) is implementing stringent security measures for the upcoming Sitai Assembly by-election. To ensure a peaceful voting process, a total of 16 companies of Central Forces will be deployed, with ten companies already arriving in Sitai.

Sitai has approximately 300 polling booths and the Election Commission has planned to station Central Forces at each location. According to police sources, the forces already present are conducting daily route marches across various areas, engaging with local residents to raise awareness and promote a peaceful election environment. District administration sources report that Sitai Constituency has a total voter count of 305,500, comprising 158,421 male voters and 147,079 female voters. Regarding the deployment of Central Forces, BJP candidate Dipak Kumar Roy expressed concerns, stating: “Even if Central Forces are deployed, they will still be managed by the state police.

If the state police control the Central Forces, then what is the purpose of bringing them? In the last election, we saw Central Forces kept idle by the police while Trinamool Congress supporters engaged in ‘Chappa’ voting.” On the other hand, Trinamool Congress MP Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia maintained that Sitai has a record of peaceful elections, stating: “Previous elections in this constituency have been peaceful. The deployment of Central Forces may be an attempt to influence voters, but the people will vote for TMC, and Trinamool Congress will secure victory.”