State election commissioner faces murder allegations amidst violence in West Bengal panchayat elections

A complaint has been lodged at the Tittaghar Police Station and the Barrackpore Police Commissioner's office against Rajiv Sinha, the State Election Commissioner, regarding the violence surrounding the panchayat elections in West Bengal. Congress leader and lawyer Kaustav Bagchi submitted a letter, alleging that the commissioner's actions have led to several deaths amidst the ongoing panchayat elections. In response, the BJP staged a protest outside the State Election Commission office.

The State Election Commission has demanded a report from district administrators regarding the deployment of central forces at certain polling booths. After the panchayat elections concluded on Saturday, district administrators were instructed to provide a detailed account of the central forces' deployment.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) met with the State Election Commissioner, Rajiv Sinha, at the State Election Commission office. The IG handed over a list of central forces to the commission.

The Election Commission had previously instructed to submit a list of booths in two categories: sensitive and non-sensitive. The booths were to be divided into separate lists and sent to the commission. It was also mentioned that there was no need to provide a detailed breakdown of the number of central force personnel stationed behind each booth.

Voting for the panchayat elections began at 7 am across the state. However, incidents of violence, including firing, bombings, and ballot paper burning, were reported from various districts since the morning. The Election Commission's order reached the district magistrates by 11:30 am.

Central forces surround the Election Commission: The State Election Commission informed them, "We understand that you are very busy. However, you must address incidents of violence and related complaints district by district. Nevertheless, I will take your time. We need information now."

The commission stated that they require a comprehensive account of the central forces' deployment at all booths in each district. "Please send us a list," they requested. However, the commission specifically stated that there is no need to provide a detailed breakdown of the number of central force personnel stationed behind each booth.

BSF IG's Meeting: The State Election Commission had initially announced that a total of 650 companies of central forces had arrived in the state by Saturday. However, the Calcutta High Court had demanded 822 companies of central forces for the security of the panchayat elections in the state.

Consequently, it was not possible to provide the proposed half-section central forces at all polling stations. Nonetheless, the state has deployed armed police as promised, although the opposition alleged that armed police personnel were observed as silent spectators during incidents of unrest at various polling booths.

Amidst the ongoing voting situation in the state, the Ministry of Home Affairs sought information from the State Election Commission until 11 am on Saturday regarding the deployment of central forces. These figures were requested through coordinators of central force deployment. Following this, the Election Commission issued directives, asking district magistrates to provide the requested information and documents.