Central force plea on table

TT, Calcutta: The Bengal election commission is toying with the idea of writing to the state government to seek central forces for the panchayat polls, panel sources said.

The panel started considering the proposal after election commissioner A.K. Singh met governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Wednesday and was apparently told to discharge his constitutional responsibility of ensuring free and fair polls, the sources said.

"Opposition parties are demanding central forces and the BJP and the Congress have moved the Supreme Court and the high court, respectively. Considering the violence over filing of nominations, the poll panel will have a loss of face if it doesn't seek central forces," said a state official.

When both courts take up the matter, the poll panel may have to answer questions why such forces were not sought.

In 2013, the panel, then helmed by commissioner Mira Pande, had gone to the Supreme Court to get central forces. The verdict went in the panel's favour and the Centre sent 325 companies (around 3,200 personnel) for the five-phase rural polls that year.

Recently, state chief secretary Malay de and ADG (law and order) Anuj Sharma had said central forces were not needed.

Observers at fag end

The nomination clashes did not come up at a briefing on Thursday that the election commission organised for 20 IAS officers to be deployed as district observers, sources said. Nor were the officers given any special directives to ensure a level-playing field for the Opposition, the sources said.

"We were asked to reach the districts on April 9, the last date for nominations," said an IAS officer.