For the forthcoming panchayat elections in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court ordered the state election commission to deploy central forces that will coordinate with the state police force.
The election commission will first send a request for the deployment of troops in locations it finds sensitive. Where there is an insufficient state police force, the commission will request the deployment of paramilitary forces after assessing the state's strategy (for the security situation). The court noted that the deployment's costs will be covered by the federal government. The notification, which had been released by the state electoral commission last week, was not dismissed by the division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya.
The court also realised that it was impractical to take into account the arguments about the submission of nominations to the relevant district magistrate or the state election commission.
It instructed the commission to put CCTV cameras in every polling place and to film the whole election process, from the submission of nomination papers to the announcement of the results, at locations where the installation was difficult.
The commission was also instructed by the court to take all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of the poll officials and staff. The state police would be in charge of making sure the security and safety of the poll workers and staff at the polling places where central force has not been deployed. In the event of any complaints the court asked the commission to react promptly and take quick action against whosoever is involved in violence.
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