Sixth phase: EC readies for stiffest challenge

As the state goes for the sixth and final phase of elections,the Election Commission has made unprecedented security arrangements in the Maoist heartland.

As the state goes for the sixth and final phase of elections on Tuesday,the Election Commission has made unprecedented security arrangements in the Maoist heartland. During this phase,polls will be held for 14 assembly constituencies of West Midnapore,Bankura and Purulia districts.

With the posting of a large number of central para-military forces,organising aerial surveillance by three helicopters and sealing of the inter-state and inter-district borders, Junglemahal has turned into a fortress. The area has been badly hit by the Left Wing Extremism.

Of the 3534 polling booths in the 14 assembly constituencies,1049 polling booths have been identified as critical. The commission has also identified 1805 vulnerable hamlets and has made arrangements to ensure the people have no difficulty in exercising their franchise.

Since we have a typical security situation in these areas,security forces have been given advanced security kits and satellite phones, said Sunil Kumar Gupta,Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal.

Gupta added the Commission has deployed 15,156 polling personnel for this phase.

As a precautionary measure, the polling will be held from 7am to 3 pm so that the voters and the polling personnel can safely return after the completion of the voting. In all the other phases,people exercised their franchise from 7 am to 5 pm. A special observer of the Election Commission of India,Debasish Chakraborty,the Chief Electoral Office of Maharashtra,is monitoring the situation.

In the final round of polling,97 candidates are in the election fray and the total number of electors is 26,57,229. Seven constituencies in West Midnapore,four in Purulia and three in Bankura district will go to polls in this phase.

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The heavyweight candidates in this phase are Minister for Western Region Development Sushanta Ghosh and former Backward Classes Welfare Minister Upen Kisku. Besides,Chhatradhar Mahato,convener of the Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA),an organisation which is alleged to have links with Maoists,is contesting as Independent candidate from Jhargram constituency in West Midnapore.

While the CPM is contesting on 11 seats,the CPI is contesting on one seat,the Forward Bloc on two,the Trinamool Congress on nine,the Congress on four and the Bharatiya Janata Party on all 14 seats in this phase.

Meanwhile,Union Minister for Shipping Mukul Roy today met the CEO and expressed his fears about the possibility of post-poll violence in the state. A large number of security personnel would stay in the area till May 23 to prevent any post-poll clashes, said the CEO.

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Election Commission