The Hindu 27.04.2010
Unprecedented security for Bengal civic polls
Special Correspondent
| Elections to 81 municipalities to be held on May 30 |
‘50 companies of paramilitary forces sought for conducting civic elections in Kolkata’
The Opposition sees these elections as a run-up to the State Assembly polls next year
Kolkata: Unprecedented security arrangements are being planned for holding the civic elections to 81 municipalities in West Bengal on May 30.
For the first time, these elections are proposed to be held under the surveillance of Central paramilitary forces.
Of the 81 civic boards where polls are to be held, quite a few are in the periphery of the Maoist-strongholds in the Jangalmahal area, while one municipality is partially within an area identified as Left Wing Extremism affected (LWE) by the State Government.
For the elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, too, 50 companies of paramilitary forces have been asked for—once again a first.
Inspector-General of Police Bhupinder Singh said on Monday that the State Government has been assured of Central forces. “They were expected to arrive from neighbouring as well as other states,” he said.
To a question, he said Jhalda in Purulia and certain areas in the two other LWE-affected districts – Paschim Medinipur, and Bankura – are in the periphery of LWE-affected areas.
The State Election Commission, which has urged the Centre to provide central forces for all the booths, issued the election notification on Monday for electing people’s representatives to 81 municipalities covering 1,792 wards.
Ruling Left Front chairman Biman Bose has already warned that these elections would be a blood-smeared one in wake of the anarchy unleashed by the Opposition parties.
City Police Commissioner Gautam Chakraborty said later that 50 companies of paramilitary forces have been sought for conducting the civic elections in Kolkata. He mentioned that paramilitary forces were present during the Lok Sabha elections too. The Central forces would complement the city armed police.
“They have always been present during the elections and will be present this time too,” he said
The Opposition sees these elections as a run-up to the State Assembly polls in 2011 with senior Left leaders admitting publicly that the battle will be a tough one.
