A public interest litigation was filed at the Calcutta High Court seeking fair and violence-free elections in West Bengal for the upcoming Assembly polls. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, has admitted the petition, with a hearing expected later on Wednesday.
The petition comes on the heels of the Chief Election Commissioner’s announcement in Kolkata that the Election Commission of India will adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards election-related violence this time. The Commission aims to take strict actions against any individuals involved in such activities.
The litigation highlights past instances of election violence in West Bengal, including voter intimidation, attacks on opposition party agents, and incidents of women’s modesty being outraged by political troublemakers. Demands in the petition include the immediate deployment of central armed police forces in sensitive areas, installation of CCTVs, and videography at all polling booths.
The petitioner also references the history of bloodshed and violence during the panchayat elections in West Bengal in 2018 and 2023, resulting in loss of lives. The Election Commission is particularly focused on preventing pre and post-election violence in the state, following the contentious 2021 assembly elections.
Allegations have recently surfaced regarding attacks on the BJP’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ by Trinamool Congress activists in various locations across the state.
