60,000 securitymen for 3 Maoist-hit districts in W Bengal

After taking a series of tough measures to stop false voting and electoral malpractices, the Election Commission now plans to deploy a staggering 60,000 paramilitary personnel in the Maoist-hit districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia during the first phase of polls on April 17. 8216;8216;Though I have not received any formal intimation, I have received enough indications that about 600 companies of central paramilitary forces will be deployed in the three districts,8217;8217; said State Chief Electoral Officer Debashis Sen on Tuesday. However, he could not say whether there would be the same kind of deployment in the second phase too.

The 60,000 paramilitary jawans will be deployed in 7,479 polling stations in the three districts. The move is unprecedented. In the last Assembly elections, about 300 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed in the whole of West Bengal. The borders of these districts will also be sealed during polling.

Party runs into Buddha wall

In the ongoing tussle with his own partymen over the issue of enforcing the EC ban on poll graffiti on walls, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has emerged triumphant. Even before the EC sent a directive on removal of existing political writings on the walls, the government on Tuesday issued a notification asking all district magistrates and superintendents of police to remove all graffiti immediately.

In Kolkata, the directive has been sent to the Commissioner of Police who is also the magistrate of Kolkata district. The cost of the clean-up operation will be borne by the state government, instead of the candidates as is the usual practice.