485 companies of central forces not yet in Bengal: SEC

KOLKATA: A suspected bomb-maker died in Bengal on Saturday as explosives pockmarked the bloody run-up to the July 8 rural polls amid claims by the state election commission (SEC) that 485 companies of the requested central forces were yet to arrive.

Alim Sheikh Biswas (46) perished in a blast in a jute field at Majjhampur village in Murshidabad's Beldanga. Cops claimed to have found 20 "socket" bombs and a cauldron at the spot. Since Friday night, tension had been building up in the area after clashes between TMC and Congress workers. Two TMC workers suffered bullet injuries while another two were wounded by a blizzard of bombs and bricks.

In Kolkata, state election commissioner Rajiva Sinha made the claim about the 485 companies - around 48,500 personnel - sought from the Union home ministry after the Calcutta HC ordered such troops for the elections.

"We are yet to receive the forces. We will wait for them till tonight. If they don't come, we will take action tomorrow (Sunday)," Sinha said. He was responding to questions on whether the SEC had received a response from the Centre on the deployment of central forces it had asked for on Friday.

In the HC on Friday, additional solicitor-general Ashoke Kumar Chakraborty, representing the Centre, cited an MHA letter spelling out a district-wise count of forces it would be sanctioning. It was also mentioned that central forces deployed this time would be more than those in the 2013 rural polls.

SEC counsel Kishore Dutta pointed out that the additional 485 companies had been requisitioned following HC directives that the forces this time should not be less than the 2013 count of 82,000. Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has urged the SEC to depute at least one central jawan in each of the 61,000 booths.

Meanwhile, in Birbhum, five people, including a Left-supported Congress gram panchayat candidate, were arrested on Friday for allegedly storing bombs. In Cooch Behar's Dinhata, cops recovered a crude bomb from Karisal area near the house of an Independent candidate supported by Left and Congress. He alleged it was planted by TMC men.

In South 24-Parganas near Kolkata, TMC and CPM clashed in Bhangar during a campaign on Saturday. CPM alleged that TMC men attacked its rally and set bikes on fire. TMC trashed the charge.

(Inputs from Sukumar Mahato, S Boral, Pinak Priya Bhattacharya, Monotosh Chakraborty)