EC sets up special control room to monitor Bengal polls

New Delhi: The Election Commission announced on Thursday that it has set up a special control room, over and above the normal control room that has already been functioning, to monitor the election process in West Bengal.

The special control room has been set up here to enable senior officers keep an eye on the elections, said Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena.

"We have set up a special control room here which is equipped with all modes of communication including phone, fax, internet, printer etc, and where very senior officers would watch the elections," he said.

The opposition parties in the state, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party, had complained to the EC about violence and frequent violation of model code of conduct by the ruling Trinamool Congress' functionaries.

"We have tightened the security further. In the third phase, we deployed greater number of paramilitary forces as well as more micro observers," Saxena said.

He informed that during the third phase, Rs.1.97 crore, 3.95 lakh litres of illicit liquor and 473 illegal arms were seized.

The third phase of polling on 62 assembly seats across four districts was conducted on Thursday, and three more phases, involving 49, 53 and 25 seats, are due on April 25 and 30 and May 5 respectively.