740 companies of Central forces to be deployed in WB

The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal will be held under heavy security on Sunday with more than 740 companies of Central forces deployed across eight poll-bound constituencies in four districts.

According to sources in the Election Commission (EC), while 713 companies of Central forces will be deployed to man polling booths, while 40 companies will guard the strong rooms. This will cover nearly all the 15,428 polling booths in the poll-bound constituencies.

According to government sources, elaborate security arrangement has been made in the poll-bound constituencies located in the Jangal Mahal region once affected by Maoists, comprising of forest areas in the districts of Bankura, West Medinipur, Jhargram and Purulia.

According to EC sources, 547 quick action teams (QAT) headed by company commanders and an additional 108 QATs will be deployed.

Government sources revealed that the Central force deployed in Jangal Mahal area have been instructed to be careful and to check all the culverts and probable places of planting IEDs.

The fate of 83 candidates in the constituencies of Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram (ST), Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Bishnupur (SC) will be decided by 1,33,69,749 voters. It will be a four-way contest between the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the BJP, the Congress and the Forward Bloc.

The fate of veteran TMC MP Sisir Adhikari and its celebrity candidate Dev will be decided in this phase.

The BJP has made considerable inroads in tribal-dominated Jhargram and Purulia with a large number of seats in the two districts. The party bagged 42% gram panchayat seats in Jhargram and 33% of the seats in Purulia.