Considered to be an epicentre of violence in the past elections, Barrackpur in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas saw a largely peaceful polling process where central force jawans were seen assisting people in exercising their franchise.

With 56 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies deployed in Barrackpur police district along with over 2,900 state police personnel, voters could be seen flocking to booth with confidence. The security personnel could be seen helping voters with disabilities and elderly citizens in reaching booths and guiding first-time voters.

“The central forces are playing a crucial role in ensuring a smooth and secure election process. They are not allowing any gatherings outside the booths. In fact, their proactive approach is boosting voters’ confidence,” said the 40-year-old, while recalling how during the 2019 last Lok Sabha elections two of his family members couldn’t vote due to tension in the area. During and after 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Barrackpur had witnessed several incidents of violence which had also claimed lives.

“Their presence is preventing potential disruptions and their willingness to help voters is also commendable,” said Dilip Shaw, who came to vote at a polling station from Bhatpara.

To ensure free, fair and violence-free Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has already sanctioned the deployment of 920 companies of central forces in West Bengal – the highest among all states in the country.

While some voters found the presence of central forces reassuring, others felt that the credit goes to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre for ensuring that ample security personnel are deployed in the state during the election period. “Everything is going smoothly. After seeing how things have changed on the ground and how peacefully people are voting I think this government at the centre is good. Sometimes you need an aggressive government to tackle tough situations,” said Mohit Shaw, as he returned after exercising his franchise at a polling station in Titagarh Jyotirmay Yubajan Vidya Kendram.

Around a kilometre away from the polling station, sitting MP and BJP’s candidate Barrackpur Arjun Singh had to face ‘Go Back’ slogans while he was visiting ward number 15 in Titagarh following reports of rigged voting. As Singh’s supporters and workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) got into an alleged scuffle, central forces and state police present on the spot dispersed the crowd. The prompt action by central forces prevented the incident from escalating further, claimed local residents.

According to officials, CAPF companies were deployed in constituencies depending on their location and threat assessments. The companies kept visiting different polling stations whenever they were alerted of a disturbance. “This approach could serve as a model for future elections and ensure a safe and inclusive voting experience for all citizens. I think this is what we wanted in Barrackpur. At least, allow people to vote peacefully, rest they can decide,” said an insurance agent who had come to cast his vote in Titagarh. At a polling station set up at Garfa High School, at around 2.40 pm, a bunch of people surrounded a man in white kurta accusing him of influencing voters to vote for TMC. The CAPF jawans deployed at the gate soon brought the situation under control. “There was a verbal argument between some people. As soon as they (forces) got to know about it, they came here. They are really quick this time, quite proactive. They must be applauded. It is otherwise difficult to vote from here freely,” said Sangeeta Kumari, a voter from the area .

Noor Mohammad, a differently abled voter, was happy as it was the first time he could vote in years as central forces helped him reach the nearby polling station. At the Shahid Tapan Choudhury Vidya Niketan in Bizpur, 362 voters had cast their vote out of 806 till around noon.

Presiding officer Chandan Chakraborty said, “It’s a peaceful voting day. There are no issues as such but the poll process was disrupted a bit due to frequent power cuts and heavy rain. Hence, the turnout has been low so far.”

In the wake of the power cuts, voting was held in candlelight at a few polling stations.

At the Halisahar RamPrasad Vidyapith, 304 out of 688 voters had exercised their franchise till 12.25 pm. “We are expecting the turnout to increase as the day progresses,” said presiding officer of the polling station Hanif Ali Mondal. Dilip Kumar Pal (62), who’s partially paralysed due to stroke, was finding it hard to reach the polling booth set up at the Halisahar Ram Prasad Vidyapith, until a central force jawan helped him.

Pal’s son Sandip, who was accompanying his father, said, “The central forces are doing their job perfectly. Without their help, my father would not have been able to cast his vote. It is not only giving confidence to voters but also instilling a feeling of gratitude among us.”

Head Constable Bhagwan Das, who helped Sandeep’s father, said, “I have been posted in Bengal for the first time. I have heard a lot that polls in Bengal are very violent. I saw a different picture this time. The Bengal police are assisting us whenever we are asking them for help and not interrupting in what we are doing. I found the people in Bengal to be very nice and cooperative. However, this is our job to help voters and stop anyone who tries to disturb the poll process.”