Looking into minority group's demand for central forces:EC

The Election Commission Thursday said it is looking into the demands of a minority organisation which has sought the deployment of central security forces in Muslim-minority areas of West Bengal to prevent political clashes.

A delegation of the All Bengal Minority Youth Federation met the chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta here Wednesday and requested adequate security in the Muslim minority areas during filing of nominations by candidates in those constituencies to prevent political clashes, said assistant chief electoral officer Amit Jyoti Bhattacharji.

"They have forwarded their concerns to the commission," he said.

In addition, the group has also requested the displacement of polling booths inside the schools located in the Buddhist temple complex in the Bowbazar area of central Kolkata as the date of polling in that area May 12 would coincide with the celebrations of Buddha Poornima May 14.

Meanwhile, as many as 50 nominations have been filed so far following the March 29 announcement of the second phase of polls.

"The number of nominations filed in Raiganj are eight, Balurghat eight, Malda North nine, Malda South nine, Jangipur seven, Murshidabad nine," said Bhattacharji.

For the third phase of the polls beginning April 30, for nine Lok Sabha seats, 11 candidates have filed nominations from Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampur and Birbhum parliamentary constituencies.

Union minister and Congress heavyweight Deepa Dasmunsi filed her nomination from the Raiganj constituency Wednesday.