As many as 42 counting agents assigned by the BJP for the Bardhaman Purba seat had disappeared mysteriously after they allegedly were intimidated by the Trinamul Congress last night.
The Election Commission of India late on Friday transferred Bhangar police station inspector-in-charge Shyam Prasad Saha and appointed Tirthendu Ganguly in his place, hours before Bhangar goes to polls on Saturday.
Ganguly was posted in the Special Task Force, Bengal.
“All Opposition parties, including the ISF, were alleging that the IC (Saha) was playing a partisan role to help the Trinamul candidate. As the EC wants free and fair polls, the IC was shunted,” said an EC source.
The EC also appointed Ajeet Singh Yadav, the SP of Counter Insurgency Force (CIF), as special police observer for Howrah, which also goes to polls on Saturday. Yadav will be responsible for deploying forces and maintaining law and order in the district with nine Assembly seats, including Domjur and Central Howrah.