Election Commission to deploy additional 200 CAPF coys for counting in West Bengal

The EC will deploy 200 coys of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal in addition to the 82 companies present to ensure security at the counting centres and check any post-poll violence when the exercise is taken up, an EC senior official said Wednesday.

The counting for 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal will be taken up Thursday along with the rest of the country.

A tight three-tier security layer has been laid out during the counting process. Section 144 Cr PC has been imposed in a 100-metre radius of counting venues, while the innermost security layer is being manned by central forces.

State police personnel will not be allowed to enter the counting hall, the official said.

"We already had 82 CAPF coys of central forces for the security of the strong rooms. Now the EC has directed the deployment of another 200 CAPF coys for the security of the counting centres and counter post-poll violence in West Bengal," the official said quoting the EC directive.

There will be 58 counting centres with around 25,000 counting personnel in 78799 polling stations spread over 294 assembly segments in the state, he said.

"The strong rooms will be opened at around 7 am and counting will start at 8 am. First, we will start counting the postal ballots and then go on to the EVMs. Only after it the VVPATs will be tallied," the EC official said.

The Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal was held in seven phases in 42 Lok Sabha constituencies which saw 466 candidates contesting in the poll fight.