States » EastPosted at: Oct 5 2026 6:22PM


Bengal: Nandigram IC replaced on eve of poll, security tightened

Nandigram, Oct 5 (UNI) In a last-minute move on the eve of polling in Nandigram, the Election Commission on Monday ordered the immediate removal of the inspector-in-charge of Nandigram police station, replacing Ajay Kumar Mishra with Debasish Sarkar as the constituency prepares for a high-stakes Assembly bypoll under an unprecedented security blanket.
The Commission directed that Sarkar, who was serving as IC of the traffic control room in East Midnapore district, take charge immediately and asked the authorities to submit a compliance report by Monday evening. The ECI did not disclose the reason for the sudden change.
The removal of the officer barely 24 hours before polling assumes significance against the backdrop of heightened tension in Nandigram, where allegations of bomb attacks and recovery of crude bombs surfaced during the final days of campaigning. The constituency has also witnessed bitter political confrontation, making law and order maintenance a major concern for the poll authorities.
As many as 2,66,419 voters will decide the candidates' fate on Tuesday across 323 polling stations, of which 79 have been classified as sensitive.
The Election Commission has mounted a massive security operation to prevent any attempt to disrupt polling. Thirty-seven companies of central armed police forces, comprising around 3,700 personnel, are being deployed in the constituency, backed by nearly 700 state police personnel.
The forces will undertake area domination, route marches, naka-checking and sector duties besides guarding polling stations and maintaining law and order.
The extraordinary security arrangements come after a campaign marked by allegations of violence and bomb-related incidents, raising fears of attempts to intimidate voters or disrupt polling in politically sensitive pockets.
The bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in this year's Assembly elections, retained Bhabanipur and vacated the Nandigram seat.
The administration has been directed to ensure that voters can exercise their franchise without fear, while security forces have been placed on high alert to prevent violence, intimidation and disruption on polling day.
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Tags: #Bengal: Nandigram IC replaced on eve of poll# security tightened
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