BJP makes recommendations to ECI for conduct of free & fair Assembly polls in West Bengal

On Thursday, a BJP delegation headed by Dilip Ghosh submitted a memorandum to the full bench of the Election Commission which is on a two-day visit to West Bengal. Mentioning that TMC treats every election as a "war", BJP accused the state police of indulging in anarchy and lawlessness at the behest of the ruling party in the state. Alleging that a large-scale demoralization has set in among many honest civil servants, the JP Nadda-led party made a list of suggestions to the ECI for ensuring a level-playing field in the West Bengal Assembly polls due in April-May this year.

In the memorandum, it stated, "The people of West Bengal are concerned and worried at the rise of another form of Nazism and expect that through the fair and transparent electoral processes, the Commission will strengthen and deepen India's thriving democracy". BJP is looking to make major inroads in the Assembly election buoyed by its win in 18 out of 42 West Bengal Lok Sabha constituencies in the 2019 General Election. Both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda have exuded confidence in the party winning more than 200 seats this time.

Read: 2 TMC Workers Killed, 2 In BJP Injured In 2 WB Incidents; BJP Slams 'Mamata's Gun-tantra'

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Here are some of BJP's suggestions to the ECI: 

• Appoint a senior state-level observer to ensure strict compliance with electoral laws
• Appoint a state-level police observer of DG rank, assisted by at least 4 IG level observers to ensure law and order
• Every district must have a district-level observer to oversee the work of the District Election Officer
• Observers must get special powers to provide instant relief to candidates and political parties
• Central Armed Police Forces must be deployed at least 15 days before polling day
• CAPF should be deployed in all polling stations and should desist any temptation of accepting the hospitality of the ruling party
• The state civil police should be assigned only such functions that cannot influence the voting behaviour
• The General Observers should personally supervise fair availability of resources to all political parties
• Officers who are likely to adversely influence elections must be removed from key positions
• Employees of government departments who have pledged their support to Mamata Banerjee must not be deployed for election duties
• Every voter irrespective of religious beliefs must be identified beyond doubt before being allowed to vote
• A special electoral roll audit must be conducted to examine the inconsistencies in the preparation of the electoral rolls
• The registration process for new voters must be carried out carefully keeping in mind the possibility of infiltration in border districts
• Live webcasting should be made available inside critical polling stations and its feed should be made available to political parties

Read: West Bengal: BJP's Dilip Ghosh Fires Fresh Salvo At Mamata, Says 'will Wipe TMC By 2021'

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