West Bengal Polls: ECI's strict directive for fair, violence-free voting

The ECI has directed West Bengal officials to ensure fair and impartial elections, free from violence. The directive follows an incident in Malda where judicial officers were held hostage, the investigation for which has been handed over to the NIA.

ECI Directs Officials for Fair Polls in West Bengal

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, has directed the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Kolkata Police Commissioner, and other senior officials to ensure that elections in West Bengal are conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and impartial manner. The instructions also apply to Divisional Commissioners, ADGPs, IGs, District Magistrates, Commissioners of Police, SSPs, and SPs.

The Election Commission of India has emphasised that the electoral process must be completely free from fear, violence, intimidation, inducements, booth capturing, booth jamming, and any disruption of voting. The development follows a recent incident in Malda where seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers in Malda district on April 1. The incident was linked to alleged mass deletions from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

The politics in West Bengal has heated up ever since the announcement of Special Intensive Revision in the state, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly opposing the exercise and accusing the ECI of working on the behest of the BJP.

Malda Hostage Incident: SC Orders NIA Probe

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday handed over the investigation of West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, where seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers on April 1. Following a Supreme Court order, CEC Kumar transferred the probe, with the NIA team set to arrive in West Bengal on Friday.

The ECI, in a letter issued on April 2, referred to the top court's order and directed the NIA to probe the incident that occurred on Wednesday. According to the letter, the NIA has been asked to submit a preliminary inquiry report directly to the Supreme Court. The case will be heard next on April 6, 2026, with the concerned officials directed to appear virtually.

Supreme Court Slams State Authorities' Inaction

The Supreme Court had described the incident as a brazen and deliberate attempt to obstruct the administration of justice. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed concern that, despite prior intimation, the State authorities failed to provide prompt protection, leaving the officers without food or water for hours.

The court issued show-cause notices to senior State officials, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director-General of Police, asking them to explain their inaction. It directed the Election Commission to requisition and deploy adequate central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers and the smooth conduct of the SIR adjudication process.

Recap of 2021 Assembly Elections

In the 2021 Assembly elections in the state held in eight phases, the Trinamool Congress recorded a landslide victory with 213 seats amid an intense contest with the BJP, which jumped to 77 seats. Congress and Left Front drew a blank in the last state polls.

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