Kaliganj by-poll heats up: 62 'danger booths' under scanner as Central forces move in

The sleepy lanes of Kaliganj are bracing for a high-stakes showdown.

- BISWABRATA GOSWAMI

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.

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."