With the Election Commission voicing concerns over the West Bengal government's poor performance in executing non-bailable warrants, police have arrested 1400 people from across the state since Tuesday evening.

Poll observers, including K J Rao, the man credited with conducting by far the most peaceful polls in Bihar, are traveling around Bengal ahead of the assembly elections.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said 1400 people were arrested in raids in the state while 25 firearms, 120 cartridges and three kilos of explosives were also seized.

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However, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, without specifying any reason, said in the Assembly that his government initially did not want to pursue the NBWs.

Without naming the Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee, he said some TC members were yet to surrender though criminal cases are pending against them for violence in Barasat in 1994.

Bhattacharjee said that he was not in favour of arresting those from the Trinamool Congress involved in the Barasat violence, but the EC was insisting on execution of the NBWs.