The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken the step of granting 'X-category' security protection to Rekha Patra, an individual hailing from West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, who gained prominence for leading protests against suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan. Patra has since been nominated as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate for the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.
With voting scheduled for June 1, during the final phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Patra will face off against Trinamool Congress's Haji Nurul Islam, who stepped in as a nominee following the withdrawal of current MP and Bengali actor Nusrat Jahan.
The security detail for Patra will be provided by commandos from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a decision made by the Ministry based on an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report highlighting potential threats.
In addition to Patra, the MHA has extended security cover to five other BJP leaders, including Pranat Tudu, the party's candidate from Jhargram, Nirmal Saha from Bahrampur, Ashok Kandari from Jaynagar, and Ashok Purkait from Mathurapur.
Meanwhile, Karthik Paul, the BJP candidate for Raiganj, has been designated with 'Y-category' security protection.
The MHA's move to provide security to numerous BJP leaders in West Bengal follows a pattern of heightened vigilance and security measures since the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. Presently, over 100 BJP leaders in the state benefit from the security provided by CISF commandos, underscoring the importance of ensuring their safety amidst the charged political atmosphere.
