Gyanesh Kumar assures ‘zero tolerance’ on violence during meet with political parties
The Statesman | 10 March 2026
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar assured political parties that the Election Commission of India would take all necessary steps to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections in West Bengal, on Monday.
He also made it clear that the poll body is committed to “zero tolerance” towards any form of violence during the electoral process.
“The commission has zero tolerance towards violence. Elections in India are conducted strictly in accordance with the law, and we will leave no stone unturned to maintain the integrity of the electoral process,” Kumar said during his meeting with recognised national and state political parties in Kolkata.
The meeting, held as part of the commission’s preparations for the upcoming elections in the state, was attended by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, along with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal and other senior officials of the Election Commission of India.
According to senior officials of the poll panel, the interaction was aimed at hearing the concerns and suggestions of political parties and ensuring their participation in strengthening the electoral process in the state ahead of the polls.
A senior Election Commission official said the meeting was conducted in a structured manner, with each political party being given around 15 minutes to present its views before the commission.
“The purpose of the meeting was to listen to all recognised political parties and understand their concerns regarding the electoral environment in West Bengal. The commission values such consultations as they help improve the conduct of elections,” the official said.
Representatives of several national parties participated in the meeting, including leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress and the National People’s Party.
Among the recognised state parties, representatives from the All India Forward Bloc and the Trinamul Congress were present during the discussions.
During the meeting, several political parties appreciated the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls currently underway in West Bengal.
According to officials, party representatives expressed confidence that the exercise would help improve the accuracy of the voter list.
“At least a few parties conveyed their appreciation regarding the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls and acknowledged the efforts being made by the commission to update the voter database in a systematic manner,” a senior ECI official said.
At the same time, political parties also raised concerns regarding the law-and-order situation during elections in the state and urged the commission to take stringent measures to prevent voter intimidation.
Several representatives pointed to the possibility of anti-social elements trying to disrupt the election process and urged the poll panel to ensure strict enforcement of law and order during the campaign as well as on polling day.
“Multiple parties flagged concerns regarding the potential use of crude bombs, illegal firearms and the role of money power and muscle power during elections. They requested the commission to put in place strong preventive mechanisms to curb such activities,” the senior official said.
Political parties also demanded large-scale deployment of Central Armed Police Forces to maintain peace during the polls and to instil confidence among voters.
According to the official, another issue raised by several parties was the number of phases in which polling would be conducted in the state.
“A number of parties suggested that elections should ideally be held in one or two phases so that the scope for violence can be minimised and the process can be completed smoothly,” the official added.
Responding to the concerns, the Chief Election Commissioner reiterated that the commission is committed to conducting elections in a transparent and impartial manner.
Kumar also clarified that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls had been carried out in a transparent manner without bias. He further informed that Forms 6, 7 and 8 could still be submitted for inclusion of new voters, deletion of names or correction of details in the electoral rolls.
At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives of the political parties assured the commission that they would extend full cooperation to ensure that the forthcoming elections in West Bengal are conducted peacefully and without violence.