Ahead of the second phase of polling in West Bengal, the Election Commission has asked the National Investigation Agency to ensure that miscreants do not use bombs to disrupt voting and target political party workers, Election Commission officials said on Tuesday.
This directive comes after the recovery of raw bombs in the state, which is witnessing elections and reports of a minor explosion.
While the first phase of the elections took place in the state on April 23, the second phase will take place on Wednesday.
EC officials said that the poll body is taking strict measures to prevent any violence during or after the polling day in West Bengal.
On April 26, police recovered improvised bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district.
Later, on the direction of the Union Home Ministry, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case to investigate the recovery of 79 crude bombs in the state.
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In implementation of the Home Ministry’s order, the anti-terrorism agency on Sunday registered a case, originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took over the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said earlier.
“The case relates to the recovery by Kolkata Police of 79 raw bombs and other incriminating materials, which were stored somewhere, endangering human lives and property,” the spokesperson said.
Amid law and order concerns in West Bengal, the EC earlier this month decided to continue deployment of 500 companies of central forces in the state even after the counting of votes on May 4.
“During the recent House elections, post-election violence occurred. The decision is also based on previous events,” an official explained.
