Around 152 constituencies, with over 50,000 polling booths, will go to polls in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 23.
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Many of these individuals are also surrendering on their own before police across the state, which is being seen as a major success as the ECI aims for intimidation-free polls, a top ECI official said. “Many criminals and musclemen have been surrendering on their own at a time when the ECI has taken all-round measures to ensure free and fair polls in Bengal.”
West Bengal has a history of intimidation by musclemen and pre-poll, polling-day, and post-poll violence.
Around 200-plus sensitive locations, including Malda, Murshidabad, and Cooch Behar—where poll and post-poll violence has occurred in the past—have been identified. Superintendents of Police (SPs) and District Magistrates (DMs) are visiting these areas repeatedly to build confidence and monitor the situation on the ground.
AI and Control Command Centre
The ECI has also introduced an artificial intelligence (AI)-based surveillance system to flag booth capturing, booth jamming, and other irregularities inside and outside polling stations during the assembly elections in West Bengal.Also Read: BJP announces Rs 5,000 monthly allowance to journalists if it comes to power in Bengal
An AI-enabled Control Command Centre at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, along with control rooms at the District Election Officer’s office and Returning Officers’ offices, forms a three-tier system that is already in place, with testing currently underway. This time, 100% webcasting will be implemented across polling booths, along with GPS tracking of CAPF personnel. “The entire system is in place and the AI system has started functioning. CAPF personnel will also have body cameras, which is being done for the first time in Bengal,” Special Roll Observer Subrata Gupta told ET.
For the first time, body cameras will be used on CAPF personnel to track their movement from control rooms set up by the ECI. In addition, a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ will be drawn within a 100-metre radius of polling booths. Only valid voters will be allowed to cross this boundary line.
This measure has been introduced to prevent the entry of unauthorized individuals. Identity verification will be conducted at designated tables within this 100-metre zone, after which voters will be allowed to proceed to the polling booth.
The control room, equipped with 90 screens, will monitor all polling booths across the state round the clock through webcasting and has the capacity to monitor 500 booths simultaneously. Each screen will be supervised 24×7 by two micro-observers from P-2 day (two days before polling), with one monitoring the feed and the other recording notes.
On April 18, DG CISF Praveer Ranjan, along with ADG (North) Sudhir Kumar and IG (NES-II) Shikhar Sahai, reviewed election preparedness in Jalpaiguri and Islampur for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026. Addressing officers and personnel, the DG CISF briefed troops on pre-poll, polling day, and post-poll duties, stressing vigilance, neutrality, area domination, and prevention of voter inducement and intimidation. He also underscored the importance of safeguarding polling personnel and EVMs. Over 1,000 personnel, including battalion commanders, supervisory officers, and company commanders, attended the briefing physically and virtually. The DG also reviewed preparedness with CAPF and district officers, providing strategic guidance for smooth and secure polling.
