The full Bench of Election Commission of India will once again arrive in West Bengal amid general disenchantment with the poll panel’s performance in the first phase of the Assembly elections riddled with violence, bloodshed which was still continuing in the run up to the subsequent phases.
The full Bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi will arrive in Kolkata to take stock of situation, sources at the Chief Electoral Officer said.
The Bench arrives amid continuing violence mostly perpetrated by the ruling Trinamool Congress and growing Opposition demand for the removal of CEO Sunil Gupta and Deputy Election Commissioner Sandip Saxena apart from an inquiry into the role of election observers who allegedly remained invisible throughout the first and second days of the first phase polls reportedly marred by rampant and violence.
A number of constituencies including Sabang, Keshpur, Narayangarh (in West Midnapore) reported an abnormal 90 per cent polling. “We want probe against a number of police officers in West Midnapore as they were taking orders from former SP Bharati Ghosh in utter contempt of ECI’s order as she had been transferred out of the district for her biased conduct.”
Ghosh allegedly camping in a district guest house was allegedly giving orders to the officers throughout the day, Bhuniya said.
Meanwhile, violence continued at Pandaveshwar in Burdwan -- where men belonging to the opposition parties had fled the village, Sitalkuchi in North Bengal, Basanti in South 24 Parganas, Barasat in North 24 Parganas.
The ECI’s visit comes against the backdrop of open threats used by Birbhum TMC president Anubrata Mandal who went on record saying “all the rival voters and opposition agents will vanish from the booths and they will be treated to sweets with ‘darkish-red’ colour.”