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This story is from April 30, 2016

EC buttons up Madan in hospital cabin

Taking note of the allegations levelled against Madan Mitra, now in SSKM hospital, the Election Commission on Friday lined up a slew of measures to keep the former transport minister cut off from his Bhowanipore territory on poll day .But since a hospital isn't a prison, there are apprehensions that the 24x7 watch may not be fool proof.
EC buttons up Madan in hospital cabin
KOLKATA: Taking note of the allegations levelled against Madan Mitra, now in SSKM hospital, the Election Commission on Friday lined up a slew of measures to keep the former transport minister cut off from his Bhowanipore territory on poll day .But since a hospital isn't a prison, there are apprehensions that the 24x7 watch may not be fool proof.
The crackdown coincided with the EC cancelling Trinamool's Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal's plea to visit Kolkata on Saturday for a “medical check-up“.
Mondal said that he has been directed not to set foot in the city till the poll process is over. Mondal, who is also under 24x7 surveillance, is expected to reach Kolkata after 6pm on Saturday .
That EC hasn't taken the allegations against Mitra lightly became evident when it directed state home secretary Moloy De to put him under round-the-clock surveillance. Over the last two days, the EC also announced that none other than Mitra's family members will be allowed to the enter his cabin. De has been tasked to ensure that Mitra is not allowed to use phones and internet during the poll process. De has also been asked to direct health secretary R S Shukla, special secretary (correctional services) Sivaji Ghosh and police commissioner Somen Mitra with necessary instructions.
“The EC asked the state to follow the instructions immediately ,“ addi tional chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar said.
Mitra ­ a Bhowanipur resident and the Trinamool candidate from Kamarhati -was taken to SSKM from Alipore prison after he complained of chest pain on Tuesday . Mitra's admission in SSKM raised hue and cry among the opposition. They argued that his admission in SSKM was only a ploy to control the election from the hospital.
Alliance candidate from Bhowanipore Deepa Dasmunshi, approached CEO Sunil Gupta on Thursday and lodged a complaint against Mitra. In a letter, Dasmunshi wrote that “Mitra can `influence' the voting process from SSKM Hospital and therefore should be kept under strict vigil“. A BJP delegation met Gupta as well and urged that as Mitra is a resident of Bhowanipur, he has a control on the area and he might try to influence the voters.

Doctors at SSKM said that Mitra's condition was now stable. “He is a COPD patient and initially we administer oxygen, but now he can stay without the support. He is complaining of abdomen pain and for that we have doen some tests. We need to do some more tests and after that we will be able to say about his real condition,“ a doctor of SSKM said.
More transfers: On Thursday night, the EC transferred sub-divisional police officer of Tufangunj and officer in charge of Sitai in Coochbehar, taking the total number of transfers in this election to 66.
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