Rejinagar bypolls: Prohibitory orders, restrictions issued in and around counting centre for tomorrow

Kolkata: Apprehending tension and violence during the counting on Friday for the bypoll for Rejinagar Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, the district administration has imposed a host of prohibitory orders and restriction at the counting centre for a major part of the day.

The counting for Rejinagar bypoll will be at Baharampur Girls College. According to the sub-divisional officer (headquarter) of, Samiran Barik, the police in its report had expressed apprehension and possibility of crowding of supporters of rival political camps around the counting centre in large numbers which might disrupt the law and order situation there on the day of counting.

Therefore, he added, prohibitory orders and restrictions have been imposed in and around the counting centre on Friday.

The restriction will start from 5 a.m. on Friday and will continue till the counting process is over and the results are declared officially.

Under such restriction, no vehicle will be allowed to enter within 100 metres of the counting centre and gathering of five or more people will be allowed within the same area.

At the same time, no loudspeakers will be allowed to be played within 100 metres of the counting centre and no one will be allowed to enter the counting centre without a valid identity card issued from the Election Commission of India.

No weapons, mobiles, cordless phones, wireless sets will be allowed within 200 metres of the counting centre. However, this ban will not apply to magistrates, police personnel, election observers, district magistrates, additional district magistrates, returning officers and counting staff involved in the counting of votes.

“These restrictions have been imposed on Friday keeping in mind the scattered instances of violence and tension that were reported from different pockets in Rejinagar on the Tuesday when the bypolll was conducted,” said a district administration official.

Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) founder-cum-legislator, Humayun Kabir was arrested on Tuesday morning on charges of moving from one polling booth to another influencing voters, intimidating police officers and even holding an on-duty cop by his collar.

Besides Rejinagar, Nandigram Assembly Constituency in East Midnapore district also went for bypoll on Tuesday.

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