Elections 2019: Thousands of Poll Personnel in North Bengal Write to EC, Demand Increased Security

Apprehending a deterioration in law and order conditions in the poll-bound districts of North Bengal, thousands of poll personnel have started writing to the Chief Election Officer of West Bengal, Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of West Bengal and even have lodged complaints to the ECI, seeking immediate deployment of Central Forces. They have also threatened to pull off from their election duty unless adequate Central Forces are deployed to man all the polling stations of these districts.

In the seven-phase polls in West Bengal, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar will go to polls on April 11, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Raigunj on April 18 and Balurghat, Maldah North, Maldah South, Jangipur and Murshidabad on April 23.

Notably, last year during the Panchayat elections in North Bengal, Rajkumar Roy, a teacher by profession, who was officiating as the Presiding Officer at a polling booth in Raigunj, had been allegedly killed.

Though the police had later ascribed it as a case of mysterious death, poll personnel and teachers of the district had complained that goons affiliated to the ruling party had allegedly killed him when he was on his way back after the elections. It has been alleged that the honest presiding officer had refused to give in to the demand of the hooligans to let them rig the polls, and had gotten involved in altercations with the ruling party hooligans, when they tried to take over his polling station.

On April 4, poll personnel of Cooch Behar and Alipurduar district submitted a deputation to the District Magistrate. The poll personnel of these two districts have observed that the number of Central Police deployed will cover only about 10% of all polling booths in these two districts. They have also said that they will resort to legal action if the EC fails to address their demands.

Also Read: West Bengal Panchayat Polls: 12 Killed in Violence, Opposition Says, "Democracy Butchered"

Earlier on April 3, over 1500 poll personnel in Raigunj district have written to the CEO and the Returning Officer of the district. They even conducted a dharna following which they submitted a deputation to the poll observer. The poll personnel have also formed a platform under the name, United Platform of Poll Personnel, so that the movement demanding Central Forces as a shield against violence, can be intensified.

It can be recalled that there was widespread violence, rigging, booth capture, and nearly 100 deaths in the state during the last major elections i.e., the Panchayat elections in June 2018. Scores of poll personnel were injured in the hands of the ruling party hooligans in that election, according to reports.

Various opposition parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and other Left Parties, Congress and even BJP have argued that without breaking the rigging machinery orchestrated by the ruling Trinamool Congress, free and fair polls cannot take place in the state. The Opposition parties, especially the Left Front have demanded the EC for immediate deployment of Central Forces in Alipurduar district, after which only some miniscule contingent of Central Forces, has reached the district.

The opposition parties of West Bengal have also alleged that the tainted State Police and Administration Personnel, who administered and effected the widespread rigging in the 2018 Panchayat election, are still continuing in their position. Hence, chances of free and fair elections are remote, unless action is taken.

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