Election commission's info failure, BSF accuses election violence

Amidst violence during the Panchayat elections in West Bengal, the Border Security Force (BSF) has accused the State Election Commission of withholding vital information regarding sensitive polling booths.

The state has witnessed over 20 deaths and several serious injuries due to election-related violence, while the BSF's repeated requests for information went unanswered.

BSF's DIG SS Guleria stated that despite writing multiple letters, the West Bengal State Election Commission did not provide any information about sensitive polling centers, only disclosing their numbers without specifying their locations or other details. Additionally, he mentioned that the security forces of 25 states, including the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and state police, were deployed for election duties, but their services were not effectively utilized to safeguard sensitive booths.

Saturday's violence across various districts, including Murshidabad, Koch Bihar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, and Nadia, involved booth capturing, tampering with ballots, and attacks on polling officials. The deployment of central forces was carried out following a Kolkata High Court order, but allegations suggest that the Election Commission failed to properly deploy them at the most sensitive booths.

During a meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer, the senior BSF officer expressed concern about the situation. As the deployment of central forces was based on the High Court's directive, any disrespect towards them will be taken up in court, as mentioned by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

With the matter likely to be presented in court, the BSF will also have to provide clarification. However, the BSF has made it clear that the Election Commission did not provide them with complete information regarding sensitive booths.