Bengal polls: 1,500 arrested to ensure peaceful voting
What's the story
Around 1,500 people have been arrested in a bid to ensure peaceful elections in the second phase of polling for the 142 Assembly segments across seven south Bengal districts. The arrests were made after violent incidents were reported from North 24-Parganas, Hooghly, and East Burdwan since Sunday night. East Burdwan saw the highest number of arrests with 479, followed by North and South 24-Parganas with 319 and 246, respectively.
Urban concerns
Anticipated troubles in 2nd phase
An Election Commission source told The Telegraph: "We had anticipated that there would be more troubles in the second phase, as polling would be held mainly in urban areas." The source reportedly added that past experiences showed more poll-related clashes occurred in these regions. To tackle this, the EC plans to give central force jawans more freedom to manage crowds outside polling booths and deploy additional CCTV cameras on approach roads to vulnerable booths.
Security measures
Quick response teams deployed
The Election Commission is also deploying more quick response teams to reach trouble spots quickly. In a bid to prevent false voting, the EC has taken steps against companion voting. The use of improvised firearms and crude bombs during elections in this region has been a concern. Regular raids have been conducted since the elections were announced, leading to the seizure of 348 illegal firearms and 1,137 crude bombs.
Pre-poll security
Seizure of illegal arms and explosives
The Election Commission's efforts also include the seizure of 10,364 explosives of different types. These measures have boosted their confidence in conducting a trouble-free poll in this phase. A source said that regular raids and arrests have reduced pre-poll clashes, barring some incidents on the last day of campaigning. The EC is determined to take all possible steps to ensure violence-free elections in these districts.