Deploy central forces under EC supervision: WB Oppn

Deployment of Central forces under the direct supervision of Election Commission (EC) turned out to be the key demand of opposition parties of West Bengal during the all-party meeting held by the full bench of the EC on Thursday in Kolkata.

All the opposition parties said that if the forces are deployed under the supervision of the state police, it would be futile as police work under the control of ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

"We have told the EC full bench that Central forces deployed under the supervision of state police will be ineffective in ensuring free and fair elections because police are totally under TMC’s control. EC must directly control the deployment of Central forces during the Lok Sabha elections,” CPM Central Committee member Rabin Deb told DH.

State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu alleged that the state administration in Bengal has become totally politicised and hence deployment of central forces under the control of state police will be futile.

The CPI delegation also raised similar demands regarding the deployment of Central forces.

Violence during the Panchayat elections also became one of the key points of discussions in the meeting. While the BJP delegation showed video clippings of clashes and vandalism during the last rural polls in Bengal, CPI(M) submitted a booklet prepared by them to the EC bench.