Kolkata, February 26 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to send one central observer to each of the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal to oversee the pre-poll nomination phase.
Sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that all the 294 central observers to be appointed to oversee the pre-poll nomination phase will be either central government officers or officers from other states.
"Currently, a total of 1,444 officers are undergoing training provided by the ECI. At the end of the training period, they will be deployed by the Commission to oversee matters in the various states and Union Territories going to the polls. Of these 1,444 officers undergoing training, 294 will be assigned to the Assembly constituencies in West Bengal," the CEO's office source said.
According to him, the ECI has noted that in the last few elections, there have been reports of violence from different parts of the state during the pre-poll nomination phase.
"The maximum complaints of such pre-poll violence in the nomination phase relate to the intimidation of voters and threatening the workers and polling agents of the opposition party. There have also been complaints about the non-utilisation of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel deployed during the pre-poll nomination.
The Commission intends to strictly address these complaints that have surfaced during the pre-poll nomination phase this time, and hence it has decided to send one central observer to each of the 294 Assembly constituencies during the pre-poll phase, the CEO's office insider said.
He also said that these 294 central observers will be given their respective authorities in the matter by the ECI from the moment the polling dates are announced, and the enforcement of the model code of conduct.
The final voters' list in West Bengal, minus those "logical discrepancy" cases referred for judicial adjudication, will be published. Supplementary lists will be published as per the progress of the judicial adjudication.
Meanwhile, the ECI is expected to announce the polling dates immediately after the Holi festival on March 4. This time, there is a possibility of conducting the polls in fewer phases than they were in the last few elections.
The office of the CEO, West Bengal, has already recommended a single-phase poll this time, but maintained that the final decision in the matter will be taken by the ECI.