The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) to ensure CCTV coverage at every polling station in Kolkata during the local municipal corporation elections on December 19.
hearing a petition filed by BJP A division bench of activists, Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice R Bhardwaj, also directed the state election panel to ensure electronic monitoring in the ‘strong room’ where the EVMs would be stored after polling.
The State Election Commission assured the High Court that CCTV cameras and additional surveillance measures would be ensured at all 4,842 polling stations and 365 ancillary booths in 144 wards of Kolkata Municipal Corporations.
“As per our demand, the High Court has directed the State Election Commission to install CCTV cameras at all polling stations during the KMC elections. Said on behalf of the petitioner.
“… (d) the Advocate General has submitted that there is no role of the State in the issue. Keeping in view the fact that installation of CCTV cameras will bring transparency in the election process and the State Election Commission has duly accepted the petitioner’s request. has been accepted, no further decision is required in this petition,” the order said.
Meanwhile, the BJP filed a fresh petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking deployment of central forces in the KMC elections. A day later, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the BJP’s plea and asked the party to approach the Calcutta High Court with its grievances.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the State Election Commission, through its counsel, sought time from the High Court to express its opinion on the issue of deployment of central forces.
In his intervention, Advocate General Soumendranath Mukherjee, representing the West Bengal government, cited reports of electoral violence during civic polls in BJP-ruled Tripura where central forces were deployed.
“Central forces were deployed in the municipal elections in Tripura. But the reports of post-poll violence in the media have not escaped our attention… West Bengal State Election Commission has not yet sought central forces… The State Election Commission is proactive enough to ensure fair and free voting. The state police is also active,” the advocate general told the court.
Opposing the BJP’s plea for deployment of central forces during municipal elections, the Advocate General submitted that a similar prayer was rejected by the court in 2013. He said a division bench of the High Court had directed the establishment during the day. CCTV cameras in every polling station for KMC elections.
The BJP in its petition claimed that the law and order situation in West Bengal is not like that of other states in the country and cited the post-poll violence in the state after the assembly elections in May this year. The BJP also argued that there was no option but to deploy central forces to ensure transparent and peaceful KMC elections.
The petition will be heard on Wednesday morning at 10.30 am.
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