Kolkata, 18 February (H.S.):
Following the repeated incidents of unrest during the Special Intensive Revision hearings in West Bengal, the Election Commission is now preparing to exercise extra caution regarding the voting process in the state. The Commission fears that the law and order situation may become more sensitive after the publication of the final voter list. Keeping this in mind, the deployment of central forces is being seriously considered even before the announcement of the elections.
According to sources, the Commission has sought a detailed report from retired IPS officer N.K. Mishra, recently appointed as Special Observer. The Commission's clear objective is to strengthen security arrangements well before the voting and maintain strict surveillance in sensitive areas to ensure a peaceful and fair election. As part of this strategy, it is planning to deploy at least 100 companies of central forces in the first week of March.
The Commission has announced that the final voter list under the Special Intensive Revision will be published on February 28th. However, given the pace at which the files related to the hearings are being examined, State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Aggarwal has also expressed doubts about the final list being released on the scheduled date. The Commission plans to begin the process of announcing the election schedule as soon as the final voter list is published.
It is expected that the notification for the Assembly elections may be issued by the second week of March. This is why the Commission is emphasizing the earlier deployment of central forces this time, compared to previous elections. The impact on law and order in the state during the Special Intensive Revision hearings has also been raised before the Supreme Court.
Despite precautions, the state's Director General of Police has faced a show-cause notice from the Supreme Court regarding the alleged inaction of the state police. Commission sources say that the number of central forces may be further increased for this Assembly election compared to the 2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, to preempt any potential violence or disorder.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
