Bengal polls: Calcutta HC directs ECI to ensure security at all polling stations

Kolkata, March 25 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make adequate safety arrangement besides making sufficient provisions for drinking water as well as other basic amenities for the voters at all polling stations that would be utilised for the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal next month.

The division bench of the Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen gave this direction to the ECI on a public interest litigation filed by the West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party President and Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya, seeking the court's intervention to ensure 100 per cent booth-level security in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state on April 23 and April 29.

However, the division bench, at the same time, said that the petitioner did not have the authority on whether any central agency or a state agency would be made accountable for ensuring the state polls peacefully.

The division bench of the Calcutta High Court said that the decision on this issue would be taken by the ECI.

The division bench of Calcutta High Court also added that the court would ensure that the voters going to the polling stations to cast their votes are provided with basic amenities like drinking water, and that the security systems at the polling stations and polling booths are adequate or not.

During the court hearing in the matter on March 18, the division bench raised the question of whether it was not also the duty of the West Bengal government, along with the ECI, to ensure free, fair, and violence-free polls in the state.`

West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29.

In the first phase, polling will be held for 152 Assembly constituencies, and in the second phase, for 142 constituencies.

On Wednesday, the public interest litigation, challenging the ECI's recent orders for transfer, replacements, and deputations of bureaucrats and police officers, is also scheduled for hearing at the same division bench of the Calcutta High Court.

--IANS

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