The Centre has accorded 'Y' category armed security cover to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sajal Ghosh amid run-up to the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls, sources said.
As per a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been given the charge of providing round the clock security cover to the BJP leader.
The CISF was given the order on December 7 mentioning to provide 'Y' category security to Sajal Ghosh, who is the BJP candidate in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, a source toldon condition of anonymity.
The CISF personnel have been providing the ordered security cover to Ghosh since after it received the MHA order, the source added.
The BJP leader, who was arrested after the Assembly polls for allegedly commenting on women, was given the protection based on an analysis of a security threat to his life.
According to the notification issued by the State Election Commission (SEC) on November 25, voting will be held on December 19 from 7 am to 5 pm. The counting of votes will be held on December 21.
This will be the first major electoral battle in West Bengal after the May 2021 assembly polls, which the Trinamool Congress won comprehensively.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC registered a landslide victory in polls winning 213 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly. The BJP lost the polls but emerged as the second-largest party with 77 seats.
( With inputs from ANI )
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