Kolkata (West Bengal) [India]: BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday said his party has urged the Election Commission (EC) to deploy central paramilitary forces and install CCTVs in all polling booths to ensure “free and fair” polling in the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal.
“The BJP demands that the EC should deploy central paramilitary forces and install CCTVs in all polling booths for the rest of the elections in West Bengal. We made the same plea during the panchayat elections. But, we all saw how the TMC indulged in hooliganism and massive violence during the panchayat polls,” Vijayvargiya, told reporters here.
The in-charge of BJP’s affairs in West Bengal claimed that his party had made the same appeal even before the first phase of polling commenced but central forces were not deployed in all polling booths.
Vijayvargiya further said, “Unless the EC takes strong steps, the BJP believes that there will be no free and fair polling in West Bengal (in the next six phases of Lok Sabha elections). The EC should focus on West Bengal so that the electorates can vote without fear.”
Asserting that nearly all political parties made such demands for the EC to take measures to ensure free and fair polling, Vijayvargiya urged the top electoral body to take serious cognisance of the BJP’s appeal.
Three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal – Darjeeling, Raigunj and Jalpaiguri – will vote on April 18. Two seats in the state, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar, went to polls on April 11.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]