Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday said strict instructions have been issued to the West Bengal bureaucracy to ensure a level playing field for all political parties, and asserted that any form of violence will not be tolerated during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Kumar, addressing a press conference here, said the goal of the Election Commission is to ensure a free, fair and violence-free elections in the state. "There is no place for fear or intimidation in elections. Partisan approach of the bureaucracy will not be tolerated; we have made this clear," he said.
Kumar said sufficient number of central forces will be deployed in West Bengal, and it will be done in an “impartial manner”. "The SPs have been repeatedly told that if there is any complaint of intimidation, they should take immediate action. They have assured us that it will be done. If they don’t act, we know what needs to be done to make them act." Kumar said. “Police officials have been instructed to be impartial and be accessible to all political parties at the district level," he added. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said, “We have heard about the partisan attitude of the state bureaucracy, especially in the lower levels. We will not tolerate any type of partisan attitude. We have instructed the district administration to maintain and establish a level playing field. If they will not, we will make them. Even then, if they won’t do it, we will take strict action.” “Election is a festival and people should cast their vote in a festive attitude,” he said, adding, “We met all political parties, state and central enforcement agencies during these days.”
“The state nodal officer, ECI nodal officer and Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal will decide where and how much central force should be deployed. Similarly, the district administration will be responsible for deploying central forces.” Kumar added that the ECI had clear information about post-poll violence and strict action will be taken to curb both pre-poll and post-poll violence. The ECI said no civil volunteers or contractual staff “will be put on election duties or law and order maintenance, directly or indirectly.” It further instructed, “Ensure transparency in giving permissions for grounds, meeting places- First In First Out Principle. No indiscriminate action to debar party workers from election/party work like becoming polling agents.”The ECI said it instructed district magistrates and superintendents of police to be “absolutely impartial, transparent, accessible to all parties equally and ensure level playing field. Ensure impartiality by junior officials working at cutting edge level. Absolutely zero tolerance to any violence in democracy.”