By IANS,
Kolkata : Assuring voters of adequate security for the coming West Bengal assembly polls, a top Election Commission official urged people to come out and exercise their franchise freely.
“The security arrangement for the elections will be unprecedented so that the voters can come out and exercise their franchise freely and safely,” Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Kumar Zutshi said Tuesday.
However, he refused to divulge the exact number of forces deployed.
“We will not reveal the exact number, but I can assure all that there will be more than adequate number of Central Para-Military Force (CPMF) deployed in and around the polling booths,” Zutshi, who is in charge of the elections in the state, said.
There will also be mobile squads comprising central forces and state police, the official added.
He urged voters to inform the election officials in case of any threat against voting.
Zutshi added that the law and order situation is satisfactory in the nine districts where voting will be held in the first two phases.
“In past two days, I visited six north Bengal districts apart from Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia and held meeting with officials and observers. The law and order situation is satisfactory and the Election Commission is keeping a close watch on it,” said Zutshi.
The official also met state Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kumar Gupta and senior police officers. He later left for Delhi.
The six-phase elections in the state begins April 18.