Kolkata
Hours after the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court order on deployment of central security forces for the panchayat elections in West Bengal, the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) on Tuesday requisitioned the deployment of one company of central forces in every district in the State.
The requisition of one company of central forces which is roughly about 100 personnel for every district prompted the Opposition parties to question the intent of the Commission as well as the impact on free and fair polls.
Sources at the Commission said that it has requisitioned 22 companies of central forces for 22 districts in West Bengal. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha refused to comment on whether 22 companies were adequate. The development has triggered outrage among Opposition parties, who said they will approach the High Court again if the orders of the Court were not implemented in letter and spirit. Elections will be held for 73,897 seats (63,239-gram panchayats , 9730 panchayat samities and 928 zilla parishad seats) on July 8. There are about 62,000 polling booths.
In 2013, when the State Election Commission had approached the Supreme Court seeking deployment of central forces for panchayat polls, it finally deployed 825 companies of central forces. Panchayat elections in 2013 were held in five phases.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari earlier in the day, said that if the Court’s order is not implemented the government and Commission should be prepared for daily legal battles. State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Mr. Adhikari had approached the High Court seeking deployment of central forces. The High Court in its order on June 15, directed that central forces be deployed in all districts and the cost was to be borne by the Centre not the State.
Scenes of unrest
Unrest was visible outside block development offices (BDO). At Daspur in Paschim Medinipur a CPI (M) woman candidate was forcibly taken to the BDO office by a Trinamool leader to withdraw her nomination papers. There was violence outside the BDO office at Burwan in Murshidabad district where Congress candidates were attacked by Trinamool Congress supporters. State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury held protests outside the BDO office. Tuesday was the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers.
The State has been rocked by violence since the notification for panchayat polls was issued on June 8. Seven persons have been killed in the violence since June 8. The Calcutta High Court has directed that Bhangar MLA and Indian Secular Front leader Naushad Siddique be provided security by central forces.
