SEC to Deploy Central Forces in Sensitive Booths, Not All Polling Booths in West Bengal

 

Central Forces to be Deployed in Sensitive Booths for Panchayat Polls in West Bengal

The State Election Commission (SEC) of West Bengal has decided to deploy central forces in sensitive booths for the upcoming panchayat polls. The SEC has identified 4,834 polling booths as sensitive, which is 7.8% of the total 61,636 polling booths in the state.

The central forces will be deployed in these sensitive booths to ensure free and fair elections. They will be responsible for providing security to the polling booths, voters, and election officials. They will also be responsible for preventing any untoward incidents from taking place.

The central forces will not be deployed in all the polling booths in West Bengal. They will only be deployed in the sensitive booths. The SEC has taken this decision in view of the law and order situation in the state. There have been reports of violence and intimidation in some parts of the state in the run-up to the panchayat polls.

The central forces will also be deployed in the strong rooms where the ballot boxes will be kept after the polling is over. This is to ensure that the ballot boxes are not tampered with and that the votes are counted fairly.

The panchayat polls in West Bengal will be held on July 8, 2023. The SEC has said that it will ensure that the polls are held in a free and fair manner.

Opposition parties criticize SEC's decision

The opposition parties in West Bengal have criticized the SEC's decision to deploy central forces only in sensitive booths. They have demanded that central forces be deployed in all the polling booths in the state.

The Congress party has said that the SEC's decision is "a clear indication that the ruling Trinamool Congress is afraid of losing the panchayat polls". The party has also said that the SEC is "trying to help the TMC win the polls by rigging them".

The cpim has also criticized the SEC's decision. The party has said that the SEC is "trying to protect the TMC from defeat". The cpim has also said that it will not accept the results of the panchayat polls if the violence  in  the polling booths.

The SEC has said that it will not change its decision. The commission has said that it has taken the decision in the best interests of the state and that it is confident that the panchayat polls will be held in a free and fair manner.