800 companies of Central Forces to be deployed in state

The Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Thursday said that the Commission is committed to conduct the poll in a peaceful manner and thus creating more conducive environment for the purpose.

The Commission has decided to deploy 800 companies of central forces in the six districts of North Bengal and also in Birbhum where the second phase of elections is scheduled to take place on April 17. The Commission is leaving no stone unturned to ensure free and fair elections in the remaining Assembly constituencies. In the last two elections no major incidents had been reported which the Election Commission itself had termed it a peaceful elections. The Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta after the conclusion of both the elections said that election process was conducted peaceful manner and incidents of arrest and booth capturing were reported, apart from few stray incidents.

But following the complaints raised by the various Opposition parties the Commission has decided to increase the number of Central Forces and directed the senior state officials to take some measures in order to present a poll, free from any untoward incident.

The full bench of the election commission headed by the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi that had visited the city on Thursday asked the Chief Electoral Officer in the state Sunil Gupta and other senior officials of the state to ensure peaceful elections in the state.

Around 800 companies of Central Forces will be deployed in the next phase of election along with 1500 mobile vans fitted with live monitoring system. The vehicles will be manned by the Central Forces. All the District Magistrates and Superintendents of police have been instructed to boost up the confidence boosting measures with the Central Forces in all the sensitive areas. They have also instructed by the Commission to hold meetings with the political party representatives and make them aware about the time and place of the route march by the central forces and ensure that all polling locations are manned by the Central Force. The Commission has also ordered them to execute the non-bailable warrants that were still pending in the districts and ensure that the voters were not opposed by goons while going to the polling stations.

The full Bench of the Commission on Thursday also held a review meeting with the Director General of Police on the post violence that had been reported. The Commission has asked the DGP to take suitable action in this regard and also instructed him to lodge FIRs.

“All the DMs and SPs in the poll bound districts have been instructed to keep an active eye on the law and order situation so that the people come out freely to cast their votes,” Zaidi said.