'Chief Electoral Officer of the state is dancing at the behest of Mamta Banerjee' says Dilip Ghosh

Dilip Ghosh, former president of the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the party's national vice-president, launched a scathing attack on the state's Chief Electoral Officer, Rajiv Sinha. During his morning walk in Newtown's Eco Park, Ghosh criticized Sinha, accusing him of dancing to the tunes of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This comes after Banerjee's statement opposing the deployment of central forces for peaceful voting in the state.

On the previous day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a gathering in South 24 Parganas, questioned the necessity of central forces, stating that they were of no use. She cited an incident where the house of a Union Minister was set on fire despite the presence of central forces. Ghosh, in response to this, expressed his concerns about maintaining peace during the upcoming Panchayat elections in the state.

In response to the Calcutta High Court's directive to deploy central forces for the security of the Panchayat elections, the State Election Commission announced its decision to file a petition in the Supreme Court. Ghosh interpreted this move as evidence of collaboration between the State Government and the State Election Commission. He criticized Chief Electoral Officer Rajiv Sinha, suggesting that his alignment with the Chief Minister's views implied a lack of interest in ensuring peaceful elections.

Ghosh argued that without the deployment of central forces, conducting elections peacefully in the state would be challenging. He highlighted the incidents of violence during the nomination process, where several people lost their lives. The decision of the State Election Commission to challenge the High Court's directive raises questions about their intentions and priorities.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered the deployment of central forces until Saturday, but the State Election Commission's decision to approach the Supreme Court has cast doubt on the future course of action.

As the political landscape intensifies ahead of the Panchayat elections in West Bengal, the clash of opinions between the BJP, the State Government, and the State Election Commission over the deployment of central forces adds another layer of complexity to the electoral process.

The upcoming Supreme Court petition and the response from the apex court will be crucial in determining the role of central forces in ensuring the security and fairness of the Panchayat elections in West Bengal.