Nadia under unprecedented security cover as 36 pc booths marked ‘super sensitive’
The Statesman | 29 April 2026
Against the backdrop of a history of poll-related violence and its strategic position along the India-Bangladesh border, Nadia will vote under one of the most stringent security arrangements in recent years, with the Election Commission of India classifying 36 per cent of polling stations as “super sensitive” and deploying over 20,000 central forces across the district.
With a total electorate of 39,54,882 voters, including 20,55,024 men, 18,99,787 women and 71 third-gender voters, the district has made elaborate arrangements to facilitate voting through 5,136 polling stations. This includes 3,000 general booths and 1,400 booths to be managed entirely by women personnel, reflecting an emphasis on inclusivity. Additionally, around 1,800 booths have been marked as sensitive, even as a sharper layer of scrutiny has identified 1,411 booths as “super sensitive”.
Officials said the increase in the number of booths ~ including 450 auxiliary polling stations ~ follow the new norm capping voters at 1,200 per booth, necessitating the division of several polling stations and expanding the security canvas.
Of the 1,411 super sensitive booths, 555 fall under the Krishnagar police district and 856 under the Ranaghat police district. The classification is based on multiple parameters, including past incidents of electoral violence, recovery of arms or contraband, criminal dominance in certain areas, communal sensitivity, repoll history and proximity to riverine routes often exploited for cross-border movement.
Assembly segment-wise, Karimpur (77) accounts for 110 such booths, Tehatta (78) 53 and Palashipara (79) 61. In the Krishnagar subdivision, Kaliganj (80) has 43, Nakashipara (81) 85, Chapra (82) 59, Krishnagar North (83) 44, Nabadwip (84) 29 and Krishnagar South (85) 46 booths under the super sensitive category.
In the Ranaghat-Kalyani belt, Santipur (86) has 93, Ranaghat North West (87) 116, Krishnaganj (88) 86, Ranaghat North East (89) 152, Ranaghat South (90) 137, Chakdaha (91) 101, Kalyani (92) 115 and Haringhata (93) 82 such booths.
A total of 166 candidates are contesting in the district, with more than 25,000 polling personnel deployed to manage the electoral process.
Security remains the cornerstone of the arrangements. Over 20,000 central armed police personnel have been deployed, including 158 companies in the Krishnagar police district and 127 companies in Ranaghat. Officials said the deployment has been carefully calibrated, taking into account Nadia’s vulnerability to cross-border crime, its adjacency to districts like Purba Bardhaman, Murshidabad and Hooghly, and its record of political clashes, bomb attacks and killings during previous elections.
To ensure strict monitoring, the Election Commission of India has appointed 17 general observers to oversee polling. In addition, five police observers have been tasked with supervising law and order ~ four across the district’s subdivisions and one with an overall mandate.
“Deployment and surveillance have been intensified in identified vulnerable locations to prevent any untoward incidents,” an official said, indicating that both central forces and state police will work in coordination.
Krishnagar police district Superintendent Y Raghubanshi said the administration is functioning “strictly as per the Election Commission’s guidelines,” while Ranaghat SP Ashish Maurya asserted that “all necessary measures are being taken to ensure peaceful polling.”
With a large electorate, a high number of sensitive locations and a complex security landscape shaped by geography and past experience, Nadia’s electoral battle is set to unfold under a tight vigil, as authorities aim to deliver a free, fair and violence-free poll.