Kaliganj by-poll heats up: 62 ‘danger booths’ under scanner as central forces move in
The Statesman | 15 June 2025
The sleepy lanes of Kaliganj are bracing for a high-stakes showdown. Once considered a low-profile seat with little history of poll-related unrest, this quiet Assembly segment in Nadia district has now turned into an electoral pressure cooker — with 62 booths suddenly flagged as “sensitive” by the administration.
The surprise move has not just heightened security but also electrified the political atmosphere with opposition parties smelling a real chance to break the ruling Trinamul’s grip on the ground.
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In what many see as a silent admission of past booth-level manipulations, these “danger booths”—marred by communal tensions, criminal activity, repoll history, and even arms and contraband recoveries—will now see extra boots on the ground, as 14 companies of central forces descend to ensure free and fair voting.
And that’s precisely why both the BJP and Congress are suddenly bullish. With central security expected to clamp down on alleged strong-arm tactics, leaders from both parties believe this by-election could become a rare battlefield where “real votes” outnumber “rigged ones.”
The political temperature is rising fast—and so is the spotlight on Kaliganj.
Kaliganj, part of the Krishnagar Lok Sabha seat, is going to the polls after the sudden demise of sitting MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed in February. In a bid to ensure greater electoral integrity, the Election Commission has redrawn booth boundaries following the new rule that caps voter count per booth at 1,200. Consequently, the number of booths in the constituency has jumped from 261 to 309.
Among them, 62 booths have been identified as sensitive due to factors like past incidents of violence, communal tension, recovery of illegal arms and contraband, high crime rates, and prior repolls. Notably, areas like Palashi 1 & 2, Bara Chandghar, Jurannpur, and Faridpur panchayats have recorded a higher concentration of “vulnerable” booths.
Fourteen of these highly sensitive booths—such as Bhurulia’s 104, Kasoridanga Primary School’s 109, and Barakulberia’s 113, 118, 127, 132, among others—have been flagged for special attention due to their history of violence or communal disharmony. Sources also note the presence of religiously mixed populations in several booths, adding complexity to the law and order calculus.