The Centre rushed an additional 50 companies (each company comprising around 150 soldiers) of paramilitary forces to West Bengal, senior government officials who did not want to be named said after multiple reports of violence from the eastern state during polling on Thursday.
With Thursday’s additional deployment, the total number of paramilitary forces in the state went up to 330 companies. Senior government officials in New Delhi expressed concern over poll-related violence in West Bengal, where three seats went to the polls. “Despite best efforts, deployment of troops is often delayed by pliant state-government officials and local police officials,” a second senior official who did not want to be named said.
The car of Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s leader Mohammad Salim, the incumbent MP and Left candidate in Raiganj, came under attack allegedly by supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). In Chopra in Darjeeling, security personnel fired tear gas shells and baton charged protestors who accused workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress of obstructing them from casting their votes. The protestors, who were blocking NH 31, also hurled crude bombs at the police, officials said. And in Purulia, which goes to the polls on May 12, the body of a BJP worker was found hanging from a tree.
“(The situation is) more or less peaceful. Small incidents will always happen. But there were no big incidents,” said central special police observer for West Bengal Vivek Dube.
{{/usCountry}}“(The situation is) more or less peaceful. Small incidents will always happen. But there were no big incidents,” said central special police observer for West Bengal Vivek Dube.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP and the CPI(M) alleged strong-arm tactics by the ruling party in the state, which dismissed their charges. “Let the Election Commission deploy central forces everywhere. We are not bothered,” said state minister Sadhan Pande.