19th April, 2016

 

The Chief Election Commissioner                                                                 

Election Commission of India

Nirvachan Sadan

Ashoka Road

New Delhi -110001

 

Dear Sir,

 

This is to draw your attention to major concerns which face the third round of polls for West Bengal assembly on 21st April.

 

Since last evening a series of incidents of violence and intimidation have vitiated the atmosphere and threatens the possibility of free and fair polls. We are afraid that the sequence does underline a pattern with certain common features. These need to be addressed appropriately.

 

We are forwarding a representation of CPI(M) West Bengal state committee (Annexure I) which details out these incidents. All these ACs, 260 Burdwan Dakshin, 112 Kamarhati, and 92 Kalyani (SC)  are areas which suffered heavy rigging by AITC during the Panchayat, Municipal and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. These are areas which are witnessing a huge upsurge of the people in course of the campaign in the run up to the elections against AITC. All these incidents took place due to brazen partisan apathy of the state police personnel who were bystanders to the violence. In Kamarhati, the OC’s role has been brazenly partisan and in fact he has threatened that some of the CPI(M) activists who have been victims to violence would actually be arrested. By the high standards that the ECI has set in removing officials who act in a partisan manner, these ought to be relieved of their responsibility.

 

But what is most disturbing that in both Gayeshpur (Kalyani AC) and Kamarhati the programmes that were attacked were not by any political party; but civil society organizations. You will be able to comprehend the seriousness of the situation from the fact that Justice (Retired) AK Ganguly of the Supreme Court was heckled in the programme. Therefore, this goes without saying special arrangements with CAF flag march and adequate Quick Response teams must be deployed to ensure conducive atmosphere for free and fair polls.

 

We are also forwarding two representations on behalf of Left Front Committee, West Bengal (Annexure II) and CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee (Annexure III) respectively. The representations are detailed and self explanatory. We need not emphasise further on the paramount importance for your urgent intervention. We must also add that the AITC seems to be quite desperate in the wake of their failure to disrupt the polls on the 17th April in any significant way. Therefore, in our opinion, redoubled vigilance is needed to keep up the momentum.

 

 

With regards,

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

(Sitaram Yechury)

General Secretary, CPI (M)