The results of the much anticipated West Bengal Assembly elections will be declared on Sunday amid heavy security arrangements and strict Covid-19 protocols. Sources in the Election Commission (EC) said that 256 companies of Central forces and at least 292 observers will be deployed at 108 counting centres across 23 districts of the state.
They further revealed that the counting centres will be placed inside three-tier security cordons. The EVMs and the VVPATs have been kept in strong rooms under heavy security.
Keeping in mind the alarming increase in Covid-19 cases in the state, the EC is keen on enforcing protocols and social distancing norms inside the counting Centres.
While the EVMs and VVPATs will be thoroughly sanitized before the counting process commences, the candidates and their counting agents will be allowed inside the counting centres upon producing either Covid negative report or certificates of receiving two doses of vaccine.
Masks, sanitisers and face shields will be kept outside the counting centres and handed over to concerned stakeholders before they come inside. EC sources said that each counting centre will be sanitised at least 15 times throughout the counting process.
In a bid to ensure social distancing inside the counting centres, the EC has decided to place not more than seven tables instead of the usual 14 tables in each counting hall. However, the number of tables may increase at counting centres with no space constraints, a senior EC official said.
EC has already banned any kind of unnecessary gathering outside counting centres as well as victory rallies.
The outcome of the Assembly elections will be politically significant for several reasons. For the first time, the BJP has come up as the principal opposition party in Bengal where it was considered to be a fringe element till the last Lok Sabha elections.
It has also turned out to be the most difficult battle for the firebrand Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee who not only has to tide over the anti-incumbency factor but also have to counter BJP’s defection tactics and allegations of corruption against her party leader.
It remains to be seen whether the firebrand Mamata stops the BJP juggernaut or will BJP finally come to power in Bengal for the first time.