ECI orders immediate replacement of Nandigram police station IC

The Election Commission has replaced Nandigram Police Station inspector-in-charge Ajay Kumar Mishra a day before the Assembly bypoll. Debasish Sarkar will take charge as IC, while 71 CAPF companies and 15,119 state police personnel will oversee polling

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday ordered the immediate replacement of the inspector-in-charge (IC) of Nandigram Police Station in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, a day before the constituency votes in the Assembly bypoll on Tuesday.

Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was serving as the IC of Nandigram Police Station, has been replaced by Debasish Sarkar, who was the IC of the traffic control room in East Midnapore district.

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In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, the Commission directed that the transfer be implemented immediately and a compliance report be submitted to it by Monday evening. The ECI did not disclose the reason for the sudden change. The timing of Mishra’s removal, just a day before polling, has also drawn attention.

The bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district will be held on Tuesday, with counting scheduled for October 9. The two constituencies will witness extensive security arrangements, with 71 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployed for the elections.

Of the 71 CAPF companies, 37 will be deployed in Nandigram and 34 in Rejinagar. A total of 15,119 state police personnel will also be deployed across the two constituencies, according to election authorities. Nearly 24 per cent of polling booths in both constituencies have been identified as sensitive, with 323 such booths in Nandigram and 315 in Rejinagar.

The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in this year’s Assembly elections, chose to retain Bhabanipur and vacated the Nandigram seat.

The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of slain Adhikari aide Chandranath Rath, as its Nandigram candidate. Chandranath Rath was killed in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, on May 6.

The Congress candidate is Milan Pradhan, who returned to campaigning after securing interim bail from the Calcutta High Court in connection with cases dating back to the 2007 Nandigram agitation.

The Rejinagar bypoll was necessitated after AJUP leader Humayun Kabir, who won both Rejinagar and Naoda, chose to retain Naoda.