Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Election Commission has flagged 3,647 polling stations as critical out of the 15,507 going to polls across eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal in the fourth phase of the general elections on May 13, an official said on Thursday. Bolpur seat has the highest number of critical polling stations at 659, followed by Birbhum (640), Baharampur (558), Burdwan-Durgapur (422), Ranaghat (410), Krishnanagar (338) Asansol (319) and Bardhaman Purba (301), he added.
The poll body has decided to deploy a total of 579 companies of the central forces on the polling day considering the sensitivity of the stations, he said, while also adding that over 30,000 state police personnel would also be deployed.
How many companies in which constituency?
The official informed that a maximum of 152 companies of central forces would be deployed in Bardhaman Purba district, followed by Birbhum (131), Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (88), Krishnanagar Police District (81), Murshidabad Police District (73), and Ranaghat Police District (54).
Critical stations for fifth phase of polls
The ECI has identified 7,711 polling stations out of 13,481 as critical for the fifth phase of polling in Bengal, the official said.
The fifth phase of polling is scheduled in seven Lok Sabha constituencies of Bengal - Bongaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly, and Arambagh - on May 20.
With 1,787 critical polling stations, Hooghly tops the list followed by Arambagh (1,770), Srirampur (1236), Barrackpore (1,059), Uluberia (694), Howrah (605), and Bongaon (550).
According to the commission's rules, the current political situation is also considered before marking a polling station or booth as 'critical'.
As per the rules of the EC, if more than 90 per cent voting is recorded at any booth, or if any one of the candidates gets more than 70 per cent of the total votes cast, or if less than 10 per cent of votes were cast in any one booth, then it is considered to be critical, the official added.
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ | Sandeshkhali Case:TMC urges Election Commission to act on allegations against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari
