BALURGHAT, April 15 -- With the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026 approaching, the Election Commission has identified a strikingly high number of polling stations as sensitive in South Dinajpur, underscoring heightened concerns over maintaining law and order during voting.

At a Press conference on Tuesday evening, District Magistrate and District Election Officer Balasubramanian T announced that out of 1,398 booths in the district, as many as 1,125 have been categorised as "sensitive" or "hyper-sensitive." Only 273 booths have been placed under the "general" category.

Officials clarified that even minor risks of tension or disruption led to booths being included in the sensitive list, reflecting a precautionary approach by the administration. The District Magistrate said: "All polling stations will be equipped with CCTV cameras and webcasting facilities, enabling real-time monitoring by the Election Commission."

Security deployment has also been significantly scaled up. A total of 61 companies of central paramilitary forces have already been stationed across the district, with Superintendent of Police Chinmay Mittal confirming that 20 more companies are expected shortly. The Border Security Force has further tightened vigil in border areas and other vulnerable locations.

To ensure strict adherence to electoral norms, the Commission has issued eight special guidelines, warning against booth capturing, bogus voting and voter inducement. Additionally, steps have been taken to make the polling process more inclusive, including the establishment of 56 all-women booths, one booth for specially-abled voters and six model polling stations.

Amid intensified surveillance, a routine naka checking drive at Taltala More under Patiram Police Station on Tuesday led to the seizure of over Rs 3 lakh in cash from a four-wheeler. Police said the occupants failed to produce valid documents for the money, prompting its seizure along with the vehicle.

Officer-in-Charge Niladri Mali said an investigation is underway to verify the source of the cash and examine any possible electoral connection.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.