Summary:
Kolkata, Dec 7 (PTI) West Bengal State Election Commissioner Sourav Das, who sent a report to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday over security arrangements for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls, said the SEC is yet to take a call on deploying central forces for the elections.Dhankhar, however, tweeted that opposition parties have made similar demands, and the SEC needs to revisit its stance on central armed police force (CAPF) deployment."We have sent the report to the West Bengal Governor regarding security arrangements and poll preparedness," Das told PTI.
“We are satisfied with the report submitted by the police, but whether there will be deployment of central forces is yet to be decided; I can"t comment on it now,” he said.
According to the communication of Das to the governor that was attached with the tweet of Dhankhar, the SEC has received the security plan for the polls from the West Bengal government, which states there are "armed personnel in all premises and all sectors" and it has "adequate force" to ensure free and fair elections."Since this is only one election now, we tend to agree for now and will keep a close eye on the situation.
Any subsequent development will be under watch," the report by Das said, wherein he expressed his inability to meet the governor personally since he is "totally enmeshed with the conduct of election." Dhankhar asked the commissioner to call upon him at the earliest, given the seriousness of the issue of CAPF deployment to ensure free and fair elections.Das also needs to "indicate steps taken so far for VVPAT - Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trial use in the upcoming elections in the light of Supreme Court judgement,” the governor said.
Holding that SEC"s premise of the state informing the commission that it has adequate forces does not appear to be rational, Dhankhar said given the "deeply politicised bureaucracy" and stance of political parties, it was imperative the commission bestows attention independent of this."The issue at hand is too serious to be so perfunctorily or lackadaisically dealt with, opening SEC to criticism of lack of independence," he said in the tweet.
Meanwhile, a BJP delegation led by Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari met the governor in the evening, seeking his intervention to ensure free and fair KMC polls.