As Centre delayed sending Central forces, they could be deployed in about 10K booths: SEC

Kolkata: State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha said on Tuesday that Central paramilitary forces could not be deployed in more than 10,000 booths on the day of Panchayat polls and blamed the Centre for the delay in sending the forces as requisitioned by the poll panel.

SEC also hit out at DIG BSF who had alleged that the Commission had not provided the list of sensitive booths and accused him of making a ‘story’.

He added that the Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Commission that the Central forces in the state will be deployed for ten more days to curb post-poll violence, if any.

“The common people and some of the political parties were of the impression that if Central forces would have been deployed adequately, then disturbance during the polls would have been lesser. A sense of fear might have gripped the miscreants who tried to unleash violence during the polls. We have worked as per the directions of the Calcutta High Court. The court had at first said that Central forces should be deployed in all polling booths. Later, it directed that forces should be deployed in as many booths as possible. We could deploy forces in around 10,000 booths,” Sinha said.

Reacting to allegations made by BSF that the poll body did not provide any information on sensitive polling booths despite repeated requests, Sinha said: “They (the BSF) are framing stories with such allegations. There was no plan on the part of BSF regarding sensitive booths. We had informed them of the district-wise list of sensitive booths. We had said that in coordination with the district administration, Central forces will be deployed not only in sensitive booths but also in as many booths as possible. The minutes of meetings with BSF are available in our records...”

“How did they deploy forces in those booths if they did not receive the list?” he questioned.

The Commissioner reiterated that the poll panel has acted firmly, whenever there have been complaints of disruption in the poll process. “The same is applicable for today (the day of counting),” he added.

Sinha said that based on poll-related complaints on the day of elections, the Commission conducted a detailed scrutiny and repoll was peacefully held in 696 booths on Monday.

“We have issued strict orders that any unwanted person, be it of any political party will not be allowed at the counting venues and such orders have been strictly followed. There have been some complaints today (Tuesday) in connection with counting from 5-6 districts and the Commission has taken immediate steps,” Sinha said.