The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order to deploy central forces in the state during the panchayat elections.
The top court also pulled up the poll body and said “holding elections cannot be a license for violence”. The top court said it is the responsibility of the state election commission to conduct a free and fair election.
A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Manoj Misra said, “No interference is needed in 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.”
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The Calcutta HC had on June 13 asked the SEC to deploy central forces in areas identified as ‘sensitive’ by the Commission in its report to the HC for the polls scheduled on July 8. On June 15, the HC directed the Commission to deploy 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.
“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.
Multiple incidents of violence and arson have been reported in the state when the nomination process of the panchayat poll was ongoing in which nine people were killed.
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.