West Bengal panchayat polls: ‘Holding election can’t be licence for violence’

Employees at Raj Bhavan control room for issues relating to threats and intimidation, ahead of the panchayat polls, in Kolkata. Pic/PTI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with an order of the Calcutta High Court directing the State Election Commission (SEC) to requisition and deploy central forces across West Bengal for the July 8 panchayat polls.

The pleas were filed by the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission. "Holding election cannot be a license for violence," a vacation bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Manoj Misra observed during the hearing.

"The fact remains that the tenor of the order of the high court is ultimately to ensure that there is free and fair election conducted in the entire state of West Bengal since the state is conducting the said elections for the local bodies on a single date and having regard to the number of seats which are going to the polls," the bench said.

The SEC's counsel said it was not within the jurisdiction of the commission to requisition deployment of central forces for the conduct of elections, while the counsel for the state said sometimes facts and figures are different from the impressions.

The ruling Trinamool Congress asserted that the verdict will have no bearing on its electoral prospects. "We are confident about the victory of the TMC in the panchayat polls, based on the development work we have done in the last 12 years," TMC MP Sougata Roy told PTI.

"We hope that the court's order will be followed in letter and spirit. The TMC's vote loot machinery has to be stopped at any cost," Leader of the Opposition (BJP) Suvendu Adhikari said.

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