Sec 144 Imposed in Bengal’s Bhatpara, Central Forces to Stay Put in State For Counting of Votes

Central forces would be deployed across the state to ensure a peaceful counting of votes.

Published: May 20, 2019 9:13 PM IST

By India.com News Desk | Edited by Smriti Sinha

Sec 144 Imposed in Bengal's Bhatpara, Central Forces to Stay Put in State For Counting of Votes
प्रतीकात्मक तस्वीर

Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) has taken a serious note of poll-related violence in West Bengal. On Monday, Section 144 (prohibits the assembly of more than four people in an area) was imposed in Bhatpara for an undefined time-period to combat post-poll violence. (Catch Complete Coverage of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Here)

Meanwhile, ANI quoted the state’s Special Police Observer Vivek Dubey as saying, “A strength of 200 Companies of Central forces will be retained in West Bengal to assist in counting and to handle post-poll violence. This force will be deployed all over the state. The remaining 510 companies will move out of the state.”

Last week, the EC had suspended poll campaigning in nine parliamentary constituencies in the state following violence at BJP chief Amit Shah’s roadshow.

During the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on Sunday, there were reports of crude bomb blasts at Raidighi under the Mathurapur Lok Sabha seat. Polling was also delayed due to altercations between BJP and TMC workers. EVM glitches were also reported from some booths, said reports.

Constituencies from both south and north Kolkata saw incidents of violence. BJP candidate from Jadavpur Anupam Hazra had alleged that TMC workers had threatened their polling agents. “Women TMC workers with covered faces are casting proxy votes. It is difficult to establish their identity. When we raised an objection to it, they created a ruckus at the polling station,” he was quoted as saying by a portal.

He also claimed that the EVMs had a special mark on TMC symbol to guide illiterate voters to cast their votes for the ruling party in the state.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.