Kolkata. Kolkata Police has increased surveillance in the city and adjoining areas, including strict checks on hotels and entryways, in view of the municipal elections to be held on Sunday. A senior police officer said that police officers are visiting hotels and guest houses in the city to keep an eye on how many guests have come and how many visitors are going to come in the next two days.
“We want to ensure that the elections are completely peaceful, so we have increased vigil in Kolkata, Salt, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas districts. Esplanade, New Market, Central Avenue, Gariahat, Bollyganj, Tollygunge, Garia and Salt Lake are being taken care of. He said that police forces are taking out marches at various places in the city. Kolkata Police will deploy 23000 personnel for Sunday’s elections.
“200 police outposts have been set up at important places in the city. In addition to the normal patrol teams, Rapid Action Teams and Heavy Radio Flying Squads have also been deployed. Polling for 144 wards of Kolkata Municipal Corporation will be held on Sunday and counting of votes will take place on December 21.
Earlier on Friday itself, the Calcutta High Court had dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) appeal against a single bench decision that allowed the state police, not the central force, to contest the December 19 Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections. Security was ordered to be provided.