In a swift move to ensure impartial polls, the Election Commission has transferred the Inspector-in-Charge (IC) of Beldanga Police Station in Murshidabad. This follows the recent removal of the Beldanga SDPO. Ashutosh Roy from Howrah Police Station has been directed to take immediate charge as the new IC. The decision came shortly after the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) visited the area to assess the ground reality.

Parallelly, a high-level meeting has been convened by the National Election Commission to review West Bengal’s law and order situation. State CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal will join the meeting virtually to discuss the deployment of central forces for the first phase of voting. Highlighting that voter turnout remains low in historically violent zones, the Commission has ordered District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to personally conduct route marches within the next 48 to 72 hours. A compliance report on these measures must be submitted to the Commission promptly to ensure a “level playing field.”