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.
So far, the Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed only the deployment of 315 companies of Central forces whereas the Calcutta High Court had directed those Central forces, not less than positioned in 2013 panchayat polls, be stationed in the State. About 800 companies of Central forces were deployed in the 2013 panchayat polls which were held in five phases. The WBSEC had decided to hold the panchayat polls this year without any deployment of Central forces. After the intervention of the Calcutta High Court and orders dated June 13, 15 and 21, the Commission had agreed on the deployment of Central forces.
At a time when questions were being raised on the deployment of the remaining forces, the Commission order evoked strong reactions from the Opposition. State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sukanta Majumdar said that if as per the Commission directive, there were no Central forces in the booths, then the ruling party would be able to manipulate the election process. There are about 62,000 booths in the State where the polls will be held and even if the 800 companies were deployed, the Commission cannot deploy two CAPF personnel at each of the polling booths.
Governor in Cooch Behar
During the day, State’s Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited the violence-hit areas of Dinhata in the State’s Cooch Behar district and met the family members of a man who was killed during an incident of firing on June 27. He also visited a hospital in Cooch Behar where the injured in clashes are undergoing treatment. The Governor also met Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP MP Nisith Pramanik. The Governor’s visit evoked strong reactions from the Trinamool Congress leader and State’s Minister Udayan Guha, accusing the Governor of working at the behest of the BJP. Earlier, the Governor had visited violence-affected Bhangar and Canning in South 24 parganas.
Campaign in full swing
Meanwhile, campaigning for the panchayat polls was in full swing with leaders of both the ruling party and the Opposition reaching out to the rural population. At Bhatar in Purba Bardhaman, the local Trinamool Congress MLA was forced by the villagers to walk on the village road which was waterlogged. The ruling party had promised to construct the road in the last panchayat elections. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, while campaigning for the rural polls, urged the supporters of Left parties to vote for the BJP, alleging that the Trinamool and the Left were together at the national level. Mr. Adhikari said that while in the Opposition, the Left parties did not target the Trinamool Congress.
