NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to strip the district administration in West Bengal of the authority to determine the movement of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) during the upcoming Assembly elections, assigning the responsibility instead to ECI-appointed Police Observers.
According to sources in the ECI, the observers have been deputed in advance and will be authorised to decide the deployment and movement of CAPF personnel across districts during the election period.
Earlier, District Magistrates, who also function as District Electoral Officers, were responsible for determining the movement of CAPFs before, during and after the polls while the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force. However, the ECI has now decided that the observers appointed by the Commission will take the final call on CAPF movement in their respective districts.
Sources said the decision has already been conveyed to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal. District-specific composite teams will also be formed to assess area-wise requirements for CAPF deployment, with the observers’ decisions in such matters being final.
The move follows recent concerns raised by political parties during a meeting with the ECI’s full bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, on Monday. Representatives of several parties reportedly alleged that CAPF personnel deployed during previous elections were either kept idle or diverted to locations where their presence was not required.
During a visit to Kolkata on Tuesday, the Commission, led by the Chief Election Commissioner, also directed the West Bengal administration to complete the first phase of route marches and area domination exercises by the available CAPF personnel in all districts by 8 pm on March 14.
So far, around 480 companies of CAPFs have arrived in the state in two batches, and the ECI has completed the district-wise allocation of these forces.
Addressing media persons on Tuesday afternoon, the Chief Election Commissioner said the poll body would adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards election-related violence, whether before, during or after the polls.
The development comes amid a growing trust deficit between the West Bengal government and the ECI, a concern recently noted by the Supreme Court while hearing petitions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.