The Election Commission has instructed the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to monitor West Bengal closely to avoid post-election violence. Following this directive, the CEO’s office conducted a virtual meeting with District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agrawal conveyed this directive to the officials.
After the completion of the Assembly elections’ second phase, there have been reports of sporadic political clashes in various districts of West Bengal. To address this, the Commission has proactively taken measures, as confirmed by a source at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office. Police had preemptively arrested around two thousand troublemakers before each phase of the current Assembly elections to maintain peace.
The arrests were made to prevent the individuals, who had previously incited fear in different areas during past elections, from causing disruptions. While these actions have led to a largely peaceful polling process, concerns remain about potential unrest if the arrested individuals are released on bail. Consequently, monitoring the situation in West Bengal has been deemed necessary to avert post-poll violence ahead of the vote counting on May 4.
Allegations of post-election violence emerged in various districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, following the 2021 Assembly elections. The Calcutta High Court received 1,979 complaints related to crimes like murder, rape, and arson. In response, the National Human Rights Commission conducted an investigation into the reported post-poll violence, with the High Court seeking the state’s input on the matter. Additionally, the Central Bureau of Investigation was tasked with probing specific cases of violence, including murder and rape, while several post-poll violence cases are still pending in different courts.
