Parties Raise Security Concerns, Request CAPF Deployment for Bengal Polls

Representatives of several political parties in West Bengal met the full bench of the Election Commission of India on Monday to discuss preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections. According to a senior official, many parties requested that the voting process be conducted in a maximum of two phases. Delegations from major political parties, including All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, National People's Party, and All India Forward Bloc attended the meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other election commissioners. During the meeting, several parties suggested that the Assembly polls should ideally be conducted in one or two phases. They also assured the commission that they would cooperate fully to ensure peaceful elections across the state. Party representatives urged the Election Commission to take strict action against anti-social elements and to prevent any attempts to intimidate voters. They also demanded the necessary deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to maintain law and order during the electoral process. Some parties also expressed concern about the possible use of country-made bombs, illegal weapons, and money during the election period. Responding to these concerns, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the commission would adopt a “zero tolerance” approach toward violence. He assured that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections in the state. The Chief Election Commissioner also noted that voters can still submit or update their details in the electoral rolls using Form 6, Form 7, and Form 8.