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Unprecedented security for Calcutta civic polls

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

West Bengal government has taken unprecedented security measures to ensure peaceful polling during Sunday's civic elections in Calcutta and Salt Lake city. Anticipating large-scale violence, authorities have declared all 2585 booths sensitive.

About half of the state's total police force has been deployed to ensure a violence-free election. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Head Quarters) Nazrul Islam, 26300 police personnel would be on duty. Two companies of Eastern Frontier Rifles and State Armed Police too have been deployed.

"The administration has been put on alert. We have arrested 700 anti-social elements and seized 60 firearms," Islam told rediff.com.

Nevertheless, opposition parties have accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of hiring hoodlums to manipulate the polls. Speaking to rediff.com, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit vice-president Muzaffar Khan said, "My party has reliable information that the CPM has hired anti-social elements from North and South 24-Parganas districts to rig the polls in favour of the Left Front."

On Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill had expressed apprehensions about Bengal being an under-policed state. Talking to newspersons at the Great Eastern hotel, Gill had said, "West Bengal has less than 60000 police personnel to manage the state's 65 million electorate. In contrast, Punjab, with an electorate of 35 million, has 85000 police personnel. Unless the state government increases its police force, it is practically impossible to conduct polling peacefully."

State Home Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya nodded in agreement but added that "law and order in West Bengal was far better than in other states."

While Calcutta Municipal Corporation has 141 seats, Salt Lake municipality has 23. The opposition was expected to focus on the lack of development work in both municipalities and wrest the initiative from the ruling LF. However, factional feuds among opposition parties have virtually ensured smooth sailing for the Front's candidates.

Counting would begin on June 27 and the results are likely to be announced on the following day.

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