Bengal police to provide security for Kolkata civic polls: Calcutta HC

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed that state police forces will provide security for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections on December 19, rejecting a prayer by the Bengal BJP for the deployment of Central forces.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed that the Commissioner of Kolkata Police will take care of all complaints by candidates or others during the election process.

The state unit of the BJP filed a petition before the high court on December 14, seeking deployment of Central forces for Kolkata civic polls, expressing apprehensions that its candidates and workers might be subjected to threats and attacks.

The party had earlier moved Supreme Court with the prayer but was asked by it to approach the high court.

According to sources, the BJP may go to the division bench to oppose the High Court Single Bench verdict.

The court also directed the State Election Commission to provide all possible assistance.

Elections are pending in 112 municipalities of the state, including Kolkata, since 2020. Earlier, the SEC had informed the court that it is unable to conduct the civic polls in one phase because of the unavailability of EVMs. To conduct civic polls in one phase, 30,000 EVMs are required while the Commission currently has over 15,000. The SEC even claimed that 85 percent of the residents in Kolkata have received double vaccine doses followed by Howrah Municipal Corporation where 55 percent have got both the jabs. So, to start with, the Commission wants to hold polls in these two civic bodies and will gradually do so for all municipalities where elections are pending.

The Calcutta High Court had on Wednesday also refused to stay the KMC election due on December 19 while directing the state poll panel and the West Bengal government to take measures for holding elections in other civic bodies at the earliest with the least possible number of phases.