Large-scale security arrangements have been made in West Bengal and Kerala to prevent any untoward incidents today, when the results of the Lok Sabha elections are being declared.
The Election Commission (EC) has deployed 82 companies of Central forces at EVM strong rooms and counting centres in Kolkata, 200 companies of Central forces will be deployed in the state till May 27 to prevent post-poll violence.
According to EC sources, there will be 58 counting centres across 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal.
There is also a three-layer security arrangement around the counting centres. Central forces will be deployed at the strong rooms and counting centres. 25,000 counting staff have also been pressed into service.
“There will 4000 state police personnel outside the counting centres in Kolkata. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 will be enforces around a 100 metre radius of the centres,” an EC official said.
To ensure the prevention of post-poll violence, five companies of Central forces have been deployed in Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, South Dinajpur, Asansol-Dugapur Police Commissionarate area and Sundarban.
Eight companies of Central forces have been deployed in Cooch Behar, Malda, Birbhum, Jhargram and Barrackpore Police Commisionarate areas. Ten companies have been deployed in the districts of Murshidabad, Nadia and Kolkata.
In Kerala, 22,640 police personnel, including nearly 1,500 central armed force personnel, would be deployed on the counting day to curb any violence.
Soon after the polling on April 23, Kerala witnessed political violence at many parts of North Kerala. Tension between Congress and CPM workers broke out in Kasargod soon after polling, with country bombs being hurled at party workers' houses. Security arrangements have been made in the state to ensure no untoward incident occurs.
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