Kolkata, March 10: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar stated on Tuesday that the final decision on the number of phases of the West Bengal Assembly elections will be taken by the Election Commission of India, taking into account the law and order situation and administrative preparations at the grassroots level in the state.
He stated that the Commission’s full bench has conducted a detailed review of the law and order situation in the state over the past two days. During this period, meetings were held with administrative officials, police, and other stakeholders to review the election preparations. All stakeholders have assured the Commission that voting will be conducted in a peaceful, fearless, and violence-free environment.
The Chief Election Commissioner stated that the number of phases of the elections will depend entirely on the law and order situation in various areas of the state and the arrangements available to conduct the elections safely. The Commission’s objective is to ensure that every voter can exercise their right to vote without any fear.
He also stated that during the review visit, the full bench of the Commission issued clear instructions to state administrative officials to strictly enforce the rule of law and work without any form of pressure, fear, or bias. Impartial and transparent conduct by officials is essential for the credibility of elections.
Gyanesh Kumar stated that the Commission’s policy is zero tolerance for any form of electoral violence before, during, and after the elections. The Commission has clarified that strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in electoral violence.
When asked about the alleged inconvenience faced by voters due to the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, he stated that this is a national-level process, which is implemented in all states at regular intervals. This process has been completed in a completely impartial manner and with the active participation of officials at various levels.
He explained that judicial hearings of cases involving voters identified as having logical discrepancies are being conducted in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives and under the supervision of the Calcutta High Court.
The Chief Election Commissioner stated that the main objective of this entire process is to ensure that no genuine voter is left out of the electoral rolls and that no fake names are included in the list.
He also stated that to strengthen transparency and monitoring during the elections, 100% web telecast arrangements will be made at all polling stations, so that the voting process can be continuously monitored.ย