EC full bench to visit Kolkata

The full bench of the Election Commission (EC) will be in Kolkata on a three-day visit starting from January 30. According to sources, the full bench of EC including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora will hold meetings with all the district Magistrates, returning officers of Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal and Superintendents of Police.

“ The CEC along with Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa will also hold meetings with the Chief Secretary of West Bengal Malay De, Home Secretary Atri Bhattacharya and Director General of Police Virendra,” a senior official told DH.

The Bench of the EC will also hold meetings with leaders of all the registered political parties and hear their poll-elated grievances. EC sources further revealed that civil officers such as District Magistrates and Block Development Officers and police officers who were removed from poll duty during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and West Bengal Assembly election in 2016 will not be assigned poll duty in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The decision has put the state administration in a spot as the several senior police officials will fall under the category and hence will not be available for poll duty. The concerned officers will also have to be transferred from the Home Department ahead of the polls.

“ During a recent video conference EC has asked the West Bengal’s Chief Secretary what action has been taken against those who indulged in violence in the last panchayat elections in Bengal,” the EC official said.

The senior police and district officials will also put up a power point presentation before the EC bench regarding poll preparedness and related infrastructure in the districts.