The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday launched a crackdown against individuals with criminal histories across West Bengal, with 106 history-sheeters arrested overnight from three districts, Cooch Behar, South 24 Parganas, and Murshidabad.
According to senior officials at the state Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office, the arrests were carried out on ECI directions, with the commission having identified individuals with criminal records across constituencies going to polls in Phase 1 for preventive detention.
The overnight operation is part of a broader surveillance and enforcement framework the ECI is overseeing ahead of polling for 152 constituencies in the first phase.
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For phase one, the commission has deployed 2,193 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) across all constituencies, with heightened focus on sensitive and border districts, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore, and Junglemahal are among the most heavily covered. The commission has also directed that local Station House Officers and Officer-in-Charges will face suspension if arms or explosives are found within their jurisdiction on polling day.
TMC approaches Calcutta HC
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court apprehending that around 800 of its party workers could be detained before the polls on ECI’s directions.
The petition was filed by TMC MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, which admitted the plea. The first hearing is scheduled for April 22, the day before phase one voting.
In phase one, a total of 3,60,77,171 electors are eligible to vote — comprising 1,84,99,496 men, 1,75,77,210 women, and 465 third-gender voters — with the rolls subject to further revision pending tribunal verification.
The two-phase assembly elections are scheduled for April 23 and April 29, with 152 constituencies going to polls in Phase 1 and the remaining 142 in Phase 2, with results to be declared on May 4.
