Bengal polls: Security tightened in Salt Lake, Howrah ahead of phase 4

Kolkata, April 24: Security has been tightened in Howrh ahead of the fourth of the West Bengal Assembly election to be held on Monday (April 25).

The Election Commission (EC) has kept tabs particularly on Salt Lake area which witnessed much violence during the civic polls. Security personnel were seen searching vehicles entering Salt Lake from Sunday morning. Even the police personnel were seen asking 'outsiders' to vacate the area before the election.

The local lodges have also been kept under watch so that the 'outsiders' do not camp in them. The 'outsiders' were held responsible for the violence during the civic polls. [2011 results in 49 seats going to polls on April 25]

In other constituencies in Howrah across the Ganga, the security measures seemed less tight.

Sixteen constituencies in Howrah will go to polls Monday. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress alliance had won all 16 seats in the 2011 election.

A total of 672 companies of central forces will be in action in Howrah and North 24 Parganas districts during Monday's polling, the EC has said. Salt Lake alone will see over 5,000 jawans and 22,000 personnel of the state police.

In North 24 Parganas, Barrackpore commissionerate will see deployment of nearly 14,000 jawans and 5,000 state police personnel. In the rest of the district, 257 companies of central forces will be in action.

Thirty-three constituencies in North 24 Parganas will go to polls in this phase. In 2011, the TMC-Congress alliance had won 29 of them. The BJP won one seat in a bypoll in 2014. The rest belong to the Left Front.

Polling will begin at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.

Oneindia News