Kolkata, 01 April (H.S.) : Tension prevailed outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal on Strand Road on Tuesday and continued late into the night following protests over alleged submission of large numbers of Form 6 applications. However, no gatherings were seen at the site from Wednesday morning, though heavy police deployment remained in place.
Police erected multiple barricades around the CEO office and maintained a strong security presence to prevent any untoward incidents. The CEO’s office also issued a strong message regarding the gathering reported in the area on Tuesday night.
According to reports, several booth-level officers (BLOs) allegedly affiliated with the Trinamool Congress gathered outside the new CEO office on Strand Road on Tuesday afternoon. They claimed that some individuals had arrived to submit bags full of Form 6 applications, following which the BLOs began protesting.
Amid the protest by the TMC-backed BLOs, BJP workers also reached the spot, leading to slogan-shouting from both sides and further escalation of tensions.
Meanwhile, the CEO’s office on Wednesday posted a message on social media platform X along with a video, alleging that a Beliaghata councillor had gathered at the spot late Tuesday night along with some alleged miscreants and raised slogans.
In its statement, the CEO office said such anti-social activities would not be tolerated under any circumstances and reiterated its commitment to ensuring free and fair elections. It added that the law would take its own course.
CEO Manoj Agarwal had earlier said on Tuesday that if police failed to act in connection with the disturbance, the Election Commission would step in. He noted that prohibitory orders under Section 163 had been imposed in the area by Ajay Nand, making it the responsibility of the police to maintain order.
Later in the night, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand visited the CEO office, where discussions were held regarding the law and order situation, sources said.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
