Kolkata, Mar 30 (UNI) The Election Commission, which has already warned that any act of violence
would not be tolerated during elections time, has reiterated with a fresh warning and has empowered
the security forces to act in self-defence in case of any threat to their life by the miscreants during
2nd phased polls on April 1 in West Bengal.
The second phase poll will be held for 30 seats in four districts of South 24 Parganas, West and East Medinipur and South 24 Parganas. Of them, Nandigram is a focal point where chief minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee is seeking election and is pitted against her former aid turnbed political opponent Suvendu Adhikari.
The EC's fresh warning came after bomb attacks on Patashpur police station officer Dipak Chakraborty and central force personnel at Arwalm village in East Medinipur district on March 26, a few hours before the first phase polling.
If the situation demanded then the poll duty personnel could use weapons to drive away from the attackers, a source in the EC said on Tuesday.
Some 651 companies of central forces guard all the polling booths across the four districts
Of those companies, 210 to be deployed in West Medinipur,199 in East Medinipur, 170 in Bankura
and 72 companies in South 24 Parganas.
In Nandigram where CPIM candidate Minakshi Mukherjee is also contesting for United Front,
the administration has decided to deploy 21 companies for 341 polling booths ( all sensitive).
The commission also ordered the forces of the state and central to enhance coordination
between them
UNI PC RN