Details of sensitive booths not provided: BSF after violence mars West Bengal Panchayat polls

As violence rocked the Panchayat polls, BSF alleged they were not provided details of the sensitive booths. The West Bengal State Election Commission informed about the number of sensitive booths but their locations or other details were not shared, BSF complained.

Kolkata: Hours after widespread violence was reported across the state during the Panchayat polls, the Border Security Force (BSF) alleged they were not given the list of sensitive booths by the West Bengal State Election Commission despite repeated requests.

The commission had issued a sensitive booth list on July 7 stating only the number of such booths but no other details were furnished, BSF complained. SS Guleria, DIG BSF said that several letters were written to the commission asking about the sensitive booths in the state. He said BSF received only one letter in this regard from the commission on July 7 in which, the number of sensitive booths was provided. But, the commission did not provide the location or other details of those booths, Guleria said.

The security forces were deployed as per the guidance of the respective district administration, he said. The commission informed there were 4834 sensitive booths where only the CAPF were deployed but the number of such booths is higher, he added. There were 59,000 Central Armed Police Forces apart from forces from 25 states but those could not be utilised in the sensitive booths, he added.

A total of 61,636 polling booths were set up to conduct polls for 3317 Gram Panchayats, 341 Panchayat Samitis and 20 Zilla Parishads yesterday. Several incidents of bomb explosions, booth capturing and assault on presiding officers were recorded during the day.

Nearly 18 people were reportedly killed in poll violence in which, 12 belonged to the ruling Trinamool Congress, two each from BJP and CPI-M, one from Congress and one was a voter.

Meanwhile Governor CV Ananda Bose condemned the incidents of violence and described it as "very very disturbing". He visited many locations in North and South 24 Parganas during the day of polling.