After reports of violence and death of voters in the previous phases of Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday said that all the polling stations in West Bengal will be manned by the central forces in the fifth phase of polls scheduled for Monday.
"To prevent and detect crime and maintain law and order, a strength of 578 companies of central forces have been mobilised to assist the state police. All the polling stations will be manned by the central forces only," said Vivek Dube, the Special Police Observer for West Bengal.
In addition to this, 142 quick response teams of central forces will be in readiness to move quickly to the scene of offence.
"Also, one company of central forces is attached to each of the seven returning officers as reserve," Dube said.
Seven parliamentary constituencies -- Bangaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampore, Hooghly and Arambag -- will vote in the fifth phase on Monday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Dube said that he had separately met political leaders of all hues during his visits to Hooghly, Howrah and Barrackpore and that they were "appreciative of the fact that 100 per cent coverage by the central forces have been provided."
As per the EC, law and order has been given special attention in this phase.
"All sorts of measures to ensure fair and peaceful polling have been taken. Law and order issues are being addressed," said Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu.
An electorate of over 1.16 crore, including 60.04 lakh men, 56.86 lakh women and 211 belonging to the third gender, will decide the fate of 83 candidates in the seven seats on Monday. There are 71 male candidates and 12 females in the fray, Basu said.
There are 13,290 polling stations spreading across 7,691 polling premises. The by-election for Uluberia East Assembly seat will also be conducted on Monday, Basu added.
During the four previous phases of Lok Sabha polls in the state, the EC had received over 13,684 complaints through its portals out of which 242 were yet to be disposed off.
About 15.09 lakh litres of liquor and Rs 60.61 crore in cash have been seized so far, Basu said.
Asked about BJP's Ghatal candidate Bharati Ghosh threatening Trinamool activists, Basu said, "We have sought a factual report of the incident which is still awaited."
Former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh had courted controversy on Saturday after she allegedly threatened some Trinamool supporters that they would be "beaten like dogs".
A civil society organisation, Save Democracy, has demanded cancellation of Ghosh's candidature.
--IANS
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