Stage set for Malda by-poll

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Sept 12: The state’s chief electoral officer, Mr Debasis Sen and the inspector-general, Mr Raj Kanojia, today held a meeting to discuss measures for the smooth and proper conduction of the Malda Lok Sabha bypoll here scheduled for 16 September. Officials of the district election division, police, BSF, Central paramilitary forces (CPMF) and other departments concerned were present in the meeting today. The chief electoral officer, Mr Debasis Sen, later said officials concerned were given proper instructions about their polling duty, starting from three days prior to the by-poll and thereafter, so that voters can cast their votes peacefully with out fear. “Police officials will be posted at all polling stations here. A total of 22 companies of CPMF will be deployed to cover sensitive polling stations. Rest of the stations will be manned by state armed forces,” Mr Sen said. Mr Sen said that owing to the recent incidents of bombardment by terrorists in the country, adequate Central paramilitary forces were not available for the bypoll. “We planned to deploy paramilitary in those belts, where extremely stringent security measures are needed.” It was learnt that the Indo-Bangla border would be under strict vigilance on polling day. The IG, law and order, Mr Raj Kanojia, said: “Besides the paramilitary, there will be about 2,000 state armed police forces, Eastern Frontier Rifles and others at polling stations.” “The district police will no be deployed at polling stations. They will be stationed outside the polling stations and in specific areas in the constituency, maintaining liaison with the paramilitary,” Mr Raj Kanojia said. Meanwhile, Mr Sen today denied having received any complaint from the Malda Congress accusing Mr Sailen Sarkar, the CPI-M candidate for the Malda by-poll, of influencing voters and election officials, as stated by Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, the Union I&B and parliamentary affairs minister recently.