To ensure free, fair and violence-free Lok Sabha polls in the state, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has already sanctioned the deployment of 920 companies of central forces in West Bengal – the highest among all states in the country.
Around 50 people died in connection with the panchayat polls held eight months ago in the state. The 2021 Assembly polls also witnessed its share of pre-poll, during the poll and post-poll violence.
According to ECI sources, nearly 100 companies will reach Bengal on Friday and the rest will be deployed in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, notices were served in some schools in Kolkata for housing central force jawans. Bethune Collegiate School on Friday issued a notice for suspension of physical classes till Class 8. However, classes will be held online. Jodhpur Girls School also confirmed that they have received a notice for housing central force jawans.
Interestingly, the second highest number of companies of central forces will be sent to terror-torn Jammu and Kashmir where 635 companies are scheduled to be deployed.
Central forces will also be deployed in Chhattisgarh (360 companies), Bihar (295), Uttar Pradesh (252), Punjab (252), Jharkhand (250), Gujarat (200), Rajasthan (200), Maharashtra (150) and Madhya Pradesh (113). Violence-torn Manipur will have 200 companies deployed.
The full bench of the Election Commission is scheduled to visit West Bengal from March 3 to March 5. On March 3, the bench is scheduled to hold a meeting with the chief electoral officer of the state. On March 4, ECI is scheduled to hold a meeting with all political parties and all district magistrates and police superintendents. On March 5, meetings are scheduled with enforcement agencies, the chief secretary and the director general of police, separately. Later, the ECI is scheduled to hold a press conference. The ECI is expected to take stock of law and order situation and poll preparedness in Bengal.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said, “It is a shame for Bengal that elections in this state cannot be held without deploying central forces. ECI has strong observations on this and they knew what happened in West Bengal during the poll and post-poll time. How bloodshed happened. So, for this, the TMC government is responsible.”
“Elections have not been announced. ECI takes charge of state election machinery and law and order related to polls only after the MCC (Model Code of Conduct) comes into effect. This year, we are seeing deployment prior to the announcement. It is only this year, after the BJP government changed the rules and replaced the Chief Justice of India with Union home minister in the three-member selection panel that we are seeing deployment,” TMC leader Jayprakash Majumdar told The Indian Express.
“While they are sending 920 companies for Bengal, see how many they are sending for Manipur and Uttar Pradesh which according to NCRB [National Crime Records Bureau] has the highest crime rate. Having no organisation here, BJP is trying to use central forces to intimidate voters and make them vote for them. But they will fail as they did in the 2021 Assembly polls,” Majumdar added.