Bengal panchayat polls: MHA sends communique to poll body seeking clarification over force deployment

Kolkata, June 26 (IANS) The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent a communique to the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) seeking clarification on the deployment of 337 companies of central armed forces that has already been requisitioned for the July 8 panchayat polls in the state.

On Sunday evening, the WBSEC had sent a communique to the MHA seeking the requisitioning of 485 companies in addition to 337  which are already requisitioned.

However on Monday, the WBSEC received the counter-communique from the Ministy seeking details of the deployment of the 337 companies already requisitioned, which include a mix of personnel from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The poll body had sent the communique to the Ministry just after the State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha had a meeting with the Governor C.V. Ananda Bose where the issue of central armed forces deployment was discussed.

Sinha updated the Governor that the central forces requisition sent by the Commission to the Ministry is yet to arrive in the state. 

Sinha also reportedly assured the Governor of effective deployment of central forces as they arrive in phases. 

Sinha also assured the Governor it will be ensured that there is central forces deployment in all the polling stations in the state.

Meanwhile, a political slugfest has surfaced over the development. 
According to the BJP MP Dilip Ghosh, the WBSEC after being forced to seek a total of 822 companies of central armed forces following a direction of the Calcutta High Court, is now making all attempts to somehow doge the issue as per convenience of the state’s ruling party. 

“That is why the commission is yet to finalise the deployment of the existing central forces personnel already deployed,” he said.

Trinamool Congress state spokesman Kunal Ghosh said that the deployment of central armed forces, which according to him is an unnecessary exercise, should be left to the discretion of the WBSEC.