Can’t be micromanagement of elections: SC on MLA’s Bengal panchayat poll plea
Bengal legislator Nawsad Siddique petitioned the Supreme Court for more deployment of central security personnel in the state for the panchayat elections on July 8
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a plea by a West Bengal lawmaker to deploy additional central forces in 22 districts which have already witnessed widespread violence and bloodshed, saying there cannot be “micromanagement of elections”.
Dismissing a petition filed by Bengal legislator Nawsad Siddique, a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Prashant Kumar Mishra said: “The high court is already seized of the matter and is monitoring the situation. There can be no micromanagement of elections.”
Siddique, the lone legislator of the Indian Secular Front in the Bengal assembly, told the top court that the recent violence ahead of the panchayat elections demonstrated that there were not enough Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in the state.
He also compared the deployment of security forces with the 2013 figures when the previous panchayat election was held.
Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, appearing for the state government, told the court that 822 companies of central forces - each company has a strength of 100 personnel - are deployed on the ground following requests by the state election commission.
The petition claimed that 825 companies of central forces and 35,000 state police personnel were deployed in 2013.
The high court too is considering a petition filed by BJP legislator and Leader of Opposition in assembly Suvendu Adhikari on steps to curb violence during polls. On Thursday, the high court said the central forces should remain deployed for 10 days after the results are declared on July 11.
Recommended Topics