More than 2,400 people have been apprehended across West Bengal over the past two and a half days as part of intensified surveillance measures ahead of the second phase of the state assembly elections, an Election Commission (EC) official said on Tuesday.
According to the official, the apprehensions, including arrests and detentions, were carried out in districts scheduled to vote on April 29, "in 60 hours (two and a half days)".
The number rose sharply after Monday night, when 809 individuals were detained, reaching a total of 2,473 by Tuesday.
Authorities said most of those taken into custody were identified as potential troublemakers.
District-wise data released earlier showed Purba Bardhaman recording the highest number of detentions at 479, followed by North 24 Parganas with 319. South 24 Parganas reported 246 detentions, while Hooghly and Nadia saw 49 and 32 cases respectively.
Between Sunday and Monday, the EC had similarly apprehended 1,095 "potential trouble makers" across various districts, though a detailed breakdown was not provided.
The Election Commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring that polling is conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner, with enhanced deployment of observers and central forces across sensitive constituencies.
(With inputs from PTI)