India, April 20 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday launched a crackdown against individuals with criminal histories across West Bengal, with 106 history-sheeters arrested overnight from three districts, Cooch Behar, South 24 Parganas, and Murshidabad.

According to senior officials at the state Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office, the arrests were carried out on ECI directions, with the commission having identified individuals with criminal records across constituencies going to polls in Phase 1 for preventive detention.

The overnight operation is part of a broader surveillance and enforcement framework the ECI is overseeing ahead of polling for 152 constituencies in the first phase.

For phase one, the commission has...