Kolkata, With hours to go befor the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections on Sunday, the state administration and the State Election Commission (SEC) are fully geared up to conduct the crucial polls in a peaceful manner.

The important election, which has been mired in controversy, will commence on Sunday morning in which 4,04,8357 voters will decide the fate of 950 candidates.

Voting will be held at 4,959 polling stations spanning across 1,676 premises. The total number of male and female electors are 2,11,7840 and 1,93,0444, respectively. Altogether, 25,826 polling personnel, including 70 females, are engaged in the elections.

The BJP, the main rival of the ruling Trinamool Congress, had moved the court several times demanding deployment of central forces for the polls, but the court turned down the plea, accepting the SEC's appeal to conduct the elections with state forces.

The SEC has made extensive security arrangements for ensuring peaceful elections. There will be CCTV surveillance in all the polling centres with at least one armed police at each booth. The total number of police force deployed will be 23,000. There will be 286 sector mobiles, 72 RT mobiles, 35 heavy radio flying squads (HRFS), 78 quick response teams (QRTs), 18 special QRTs, 6 river patrols, 200 police pickets and 25 check-posts.

The SEC will have special security arrangements for the 1,139 sensitive booths spread across 786 premises on Sunday with special QRT deployment, more deployment of armed police and an officer in the rank of inspector, who will be manning these booths.

According to sources in the SEC, the highest number of sensitive booths -- 250 -- is located in Borough VII followed by Borough I, where there are 112 booths, and Borough III with 100 booths.

The lowest number of sensitive booths -- 22 -- is located in Borough XIII. Considering the sensitivity of the elections, the commission has arranged for CCTV cameras in all the booths which will be monitored from the central office of the commission.

To make the elections free from any kind of problems, the SEC has made extensive security arrangements. The rapid action force of Kolkata Police had started route march for area domination from Friday.

Kolkata Police will impose Section 144 of CrPC from 5 am to 7 pm on Sunday, making it illegal for more than four persons to gather on the road. All places within 200m of each polling premises, which will have multiple polling booths, will be under prohibitory orders.

The Trinamool Congress has fielded candidates in all the 144 wards, while the BJP is contesting in 142 wards. The CPI(M) is contesting in 96 wards, while the Congress in 121 wards. The total number of Independent candidates is 378.

Among the candidates, the maximum number 16 are contesting in Ward 39 under Borough IV, while the lowest number of candidates in the fray is in Ward 142 under Borough XVI, where there are only three candidates.

Strict Covid protocols will be followed with the voters undergoing thermal checking before entry into the polling stations. Masks and gloves (for the voting hand) will be provided to the voters.

Covid positive persons can cast their votes in the last hour from 4 pm to 5 pm. The SEC has made arrangements for 32 ambulances, two in each of the 16 boroughs, for carrying Covid positive persons to the polling booths.

As per the database of the SEC, 107 Covid positive voters are expected to cast their votes.