March 18, 2004
Press
Statement
The
Polit
Bureau
of
the
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)
has
issued
the
following
statement:
On
Deployment
Of
Polling
Staff
The
CPI(M)
would
welcome
any
steps
taken
by
the
Election
Commission
to
ensure
a
free
and
fair
poll
during
the
forthcoming
Lok
Sabha
elections.
The
Election
Commission
has
already
directed
the
Chief
Electoral
Officers
of
all
states
to
ensure
that
50
per
cent
of
presiding
officers
and
50
per
cent
of
polling
officers
in
every
district
be
appointed
from
outside
the
districts
concerned.
In
the
case
of
West
Bengal,
the
Chief
Election
Commissioner
has
announced
that
the
Commission
will
consider
bringing
polling
personnel
from
outside
the
state
for
deployment.
Such
a
decision,
if
taken,
should
be
applicable
to
all
states.