The variety of phases for the forthcoming West Bengal Meeting elections will probably be decided by the supply of central armed police forces, a senior official within the Chief Electoral Officer’s workplace stated on Thursday, because the Election Fee weighs safety necessities forward of finalising the polling schedule.
The CEO’s workplace has really useful that the election be performed in a single section and has forwarded the proposal to the Election Fee in New Delhi. Deliberations are beneath means on the Fee’s headquarters.
“The variety of phases for polling in West Bengal will probably be determined primarily based on what number of corporations of central forces will be made obtainable,” the official informed PTI, including that EC officers are assessing the requirement and availability of forces.
Within the 2021 Meeting elections, round 1,100 corporations of central forces had been deployed throughout the state.
The Fee has directed the state administration to right away establish delicate polling stations and weak areas.
“The EC has requested all districts to establish delicate cubicles and areas. Solely after receiving that checklist will the ultimate determination on the variety of phases be taken,” the official stated.
The size of delicate and extremely delicate cubicles will probably be central to the choice. Whereas central forces are deployed at each polling station, further personnel are required in weak areas to stop disturbances.
Sources indicated that though identification of delicate cubicles often begins six months earlier than the expiry of the Meeting’s time period, and sector officers are appointed round 4 months upfront, the method was delayed this 12 months as a result of SIR. With that train nearing completion, full-scale ballot preparations have commenced.
Preliminary discussions counsel the Fee is contemplating a three-phase election, one section in north Bengal and two in south Bengal.
Seven districts are beneath scrutiny in view of previous incidents of electoral violence: Cooch Behar and Uttar Dinajpur in north Bengal; North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Malda, Murshidabad and Birbhum within the south.
A few month in the past, the Fee directed all districts to submit weekly legislation and order experiences to New Delhi.
“After receiving the figures of delicate cubicles and areas from the state, the fee will evaluate them with the legislation and order experiences submitted by the district magistrates. Primarily based on that evaluation, the ultimate variety of delicate cubicles will probably be decided,” a supply stated.
“Taking that as a benchmark, discussions with the Union Residence Ministry concerning power deployment have already begun,” he added.
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