West Bengal assembly polls: 9,800 booths vulnerable, 8,400 critical in next 3 phases

The threat of intimidation, influence, and violence in the remaining three phases still hangs heavy and is keeping the Election Commission’s machinery on its toes. This is more so as focus shifts to Central Bengal, traditionally a Muslim stronghold, where TMC is vying with Abbas Siddiqui’s Indian Secular Front.

As per the latest EC analysis for the next three phases, near 9,800 polling stations are designated as ‘critical’ and 8,400-plus stations are identified as ‘vulnerable’. Phases 6, 7 and 8 of the election will be held on April 22, April 26 and April 29 respectively.

Both ‘vulnerable’ and ‘critical’ polling stations are identified by the local administration and police under EC norms. The EC’s reassessments of the ground situation, especially after Cooch Behar violence, also shows an increase in polling areas defined as ‘critical’ and ‘vulnerable’ in the state.


‘Critical’ polling stations refer to areas with high political stakes in terms of vote share and margins of victory in the previous elections. ‘Vulnerable’ refers to the ‘susceptibility of any voter or section of voters’ to being ‘wrongfully prevented from or influenced in relation to the exercise of right to vote’ in a free and fair manner, through ‘intimidation or use of undue influence or force’ of any kind on him.

In the 43 constituencies that will go to polls in phase 6 in Nadia, Purba Burdwan, Uttar Dinajpur and North 24 Parganas districts, 3,736 polling stations are identified as ‘critical’ and 2,869 stations as ‘vulnerable’.

North 24 Parganas has the highest proportion of vulnerable and critical areas. Of the 5,501 booths here, more than half –– over 2,800 –– are either vulnerable or critical.

Phase 7 is just as tense with 3,321 polling stations categorised as critical and 3,316 as vulnerable. Here Paschim Bardhaman district is the worry area with more than half –– nearly 1,800 of its total 3,064 polling stations –– identified as ‘critical’. 1,744 polling stations have areas with vulnerable locations.

Phase 8 will see 35 constituencies go to vote in Malda, Murhsidabad, Birbhum and Kolkata North districts. In Birbhum, of the total 3,900-plus polling stations, more than 1,080 are designated as critical, over 710 have areas with vulnerable locations.

As part of ECI’s well-laid out drill, in all vulnerable areas, the sector official is to conduct community meetings and gather intelligence on any kind of threat/ intimidation. Point of contact is established within the community to watch out for any incidence of intimations and track it immediately. Police are to identify people who can exercise undue influence. Following the Cooch Behar violence, the ECI has also asked the entire electoral machinery to step up its vigil and tighten security arrangements in and around the booths.