Less than a week before polling is scheduled for the West Bengal panchayat elections, an order by the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC), which has no mention of Central forces being deployed at the polling booths, has created confusion and outrage in the State’s political circles.
The WBSEC order dated June 30 points out that the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed for area domination, naka checking, confidence-building measures, international/ inter-state check points and patrolling. The order said that the CAPF shall invariably be used as a mobile force covering all districts. However, there was no mention of deployment of Central forces in polling booths. Polling for about 73,000 seats at the three-tier panchayats in the State is scheduled for July 8.
The order signed by the Secretary of the WBSEC was addressed to District Magistrates, Superintendent of Police and Police Commissionerates in the State. The instructions by the WBSEC to the district officials were in connection with the deployment of 315 companies of Central forces that the Ministry of Home Affairs had agreed to send to the State for the panchayat polls.
