The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the order of the Calcutta high court to deploy central forces in West Bengal during the panchayat elections. The top court also pulled up the State Election Commission (SEC) and said “holding elections cannot be a license for violence”. The top court also said it is the responsibility of the state election commission to conduct a free and fair election.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order regarding the deployment of central forces in panchayat elections. A Bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Manoj Misra dismissed the petitions filed by the West Bengal government and the poll body.
“No interference is needed in the orders of the high court’s order. Central forces can be deployed in the state. There is no wrong in the high court’s order of deployment of central forces in the panchayat elections,” the top court said.
The bench in its order said, “The fact remains that the tenor of the order of the High Court is ultimately to ensure that a free and fair election is conducted for the entire State of West Bengal, since State is conducting election for local bodies on a single day and having regard to the volume of booths which are being set up. We find that the order of the HC does not call for any interference. SLP stands dismissed.”
Multiple incidents of violence and arson have been reported in the state during the nomination process of the panchayat poll and nine people have died so far.
“What the HC may have thought is that instead of requisitioning forces from other neighbouring states it is better to deploy central forces and expenses would be borne by the Centre,” the top court said in its remarks.
“We are conscious of the fact that before we move for polling, there will be a campaigning period. We have to request the state for the forces needed. We have asked for companies to be deployed, ” a state election commissioner told the court.
Responding to this, the court said, “It’s the responsibility of the poll body to conduct the election in a fair and free manner. How is the election commission aggrieved by this order? Where the forces come from is not the concern of the State Election Commission, then how is the petition maintainable?”
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress said that it is their primary responsibility to conduct fair elections and they will be providing adequate forces for that.
The Calcutta high court had on June 13 directed the poll body to deploy central paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat elections in West Bengal. On June 15, the HC directed the Commission to requisition central forces for all districts in the state within 48 hours.
This order was jointly challenged by the state government and the state poll body in the top court.
Polling for nearly 75,000 seats in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system will be held on July 8 with the counting of votes scheduled for July 11. Nearly 61,000 polling booths have been set up.