In preparation for the second phase of assembly elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has flagged 12,000 polling booths as critical and vulnerable, constituting about 30% of the total 40,000 booths. West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, stating that measures are in place to ensure free and fair polling. In a decisive move, the ECI removed two Additional District Magistrates from their election-related duties. Over the past 60 hours, more than 3,000 arrests have been made to curb any potential disruptions. To bolster security, more than 2,500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed, with strict monitoring of activities at polling booths. The ECI has also arranged for 100% webcasting of the polling process and will conduct virtual meetings with police observers to ensure compliance with election regulations. The Chief Secretary and other senior officials will participate in these meetings to oversee the arrangements.