Betraying nervousness at the likely presence of additional number of Central forces in the coming Assembly elections in Bengal, a set of Trinamool Congress leaders led by party vice president Mukul Roy on Tuesday met the Election Commission of India with an appeal to assess situations on its own and not rely on other authorities before taking any decision.
“A delegation of our MPs on Tuesday met the ECI with an appeal to take decisions on the conduct of the coming Assembly elections based on its own assessment rather than the false and baseless claims made by the opposition parties or other authorities,” said Roy after emerging from the meeting. “We have explained to the ECI that the situation in Bengal is peaceful and has improved in the past four years. It is better than what it was during the 34 years of the left rule which saw 55,000 murders” he said and added supporting documents had been given to the Commission.
Party MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee said that the Commission had been requested to take measures based upon its own assessments and not go by the “baseless claims” made by the opposition outfits or other agencies. “We clearly told the Commission that recently some other authorities including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that they will send increased number of central forces. But they cannot make such comments. Only the ECI is authorised to take decisions on the number of forces,” he said.
According to sources based on the 2014 experience when polls were rigged by making the Central forces to sit idle the Commission was planning to send 75,000 central force personnel as compared to 62,000 sent during the parliamentary elections. The polls are likely to be conducted in six phases.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) politburo member Hannan Mollah said, “it is not the CPI(M) or the left Front which has been making such allegations. Rather allegations are brought by all the parties including the Congress, BJP that the political violence under Trinamool Congress Government has surpassed all limits.”
CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakrabarty wondered “why is the Trinamool worried about number of forces or poll phases. Mamata Banerjee has been swearing by her performance so the people should naturally come out and vote in hordes in favour of them.”