Kolkata, April 13 (IANS) The district magistrates, who are also district electoral officers, police superintendents, and district forces coordinators of the districts concerned, on Monday separately urged the people of poll-bound West Bengal to reach polling booths without fear and cast their votes in large numbers.​

The three key electoral officials from all districts and the two electoral districts of Kolkata (Dakshin and Uttar) simultaneously addressed the media. ​

The common message conveyed through those press conferences was that the Election Commission of India is determined to ensure 100 per cent free, fair, and violence-free polls this time.​

The three key electoral officers, district magistrates/district electoral officers, police superintendents, and force coordinators, at the respective press conferences, also issued strong notes of caution to probable troublemakers.​

They warned that any attempt to disrupt the polling process through booth-jamming, source-jamming, intimidation of voters, or harassment of the opponent party’s polling agents would be dealt with seriously in accordance with the legal provisions and norms specified by the Election Commission of India.​

The officials emphasised that the elections this time will be fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, inducement-free, and free of booth-jamming or source-jamming.​

The press conferences coincided with the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the state on Monday to address three back-to-back campaign rallies in two districts. ​

At the rallies, the Union Home Minister also assured that this time the elections in West Bengal would be totally free, fair, and absolutely violence-free.​

He issued a strong warning that the goons backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress should remain at home on polling days unless they want to end up behind bars after the elections.​

The two-phase assembly polls in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and April 29. ​

The results will be declared on May 4.​

–IANS

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