Permission for about 95,000 political rallies in West Bengal by EC, highest in the country

Sources in the ECI said that the number of applications and permission granted is highest in the country.

In the two and half month long election campaign the Election Commission of India has granted permission to about 94,975 applications for holding rallies and meetings for the election campaign in West Bengal. About 1,19,276 applications were made to the ECI during the seven phase campaign and the Commission granted permission to 94,975 rallies, public meetings and other forms of campaign.

Sources in the ECI said that the number of applications and permission granted is highest in the country. West Bengal elects 42 Lok Sabha MPs from the State, whereas states like Uttar Pradesh elect 80 and Maharashtra 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The data from the Suvidha portal of the ECI points out that about 10,245 permissions were granted in North 24 Parganas where two Lok Sabha seats - Basirhat and Barasat are going to polls in the last phase.

Use of helicopters

Another interesting set of statistics that has emerged from the campaign is the number of applications made to ECI for use of helicopters and helipads. Of the 890 applications the ECI had allowed use of helicopters in 669 cases. The Trinamool Congress has been the party that got 521 permissions whereas the Bharatiya Janata Party was able to use helicopters on 124 occasion. The ECI has seized cash, liquor, drugs, precious metal and freebies amounting to ₹440 crore in the seven phase long campaign. Liquor valuing ₹110 crores, freebies amounting to ₹91 crore and ₹34 crore cash was seized during the campaign

About 852 kgs of explosives, 1605 crude bombs and 707 firearms were also seized during the campaign. The status of complaints lodged through cVigil application includes 40,806 complaints received, action taken in 36,295,4443 complaints dropped and 68 pending.

Campaign for the last phase of elections concluded on May 30 and nine Lok Sabha constituencies of the State located in Kolkata, its suburbs and Sundarbans, which include Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar, Dum Dum, Barasat, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Basirhat, Joynagar and Mathurapur will go polls on Saturday.

A total of 1.63 crore voters - 83.19 lakh men, 80.20 lakh women and 538 third-gender people - are eligible to exercise their franchise in 17,470 polling stations in the last phase. The number of candidates in the poll fray stands at 124, which includes 100 men, 23 women and one from third gender.