The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday sought 800 companies of central forces from the Ministry of Home Affairs for deployment in panchayat polls on the direction of the Calcutta High Court, an official said.
State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha wrote to the Centre, seeking the forces for deployment in the panchayat polls. One company of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) generally has around a hundred personnel.
Hearing a contempt petition, the high court had on Wednesday directed the SEC to requisition more than 82,000 central forces personnel within 24 hours.
The court noted that for the July 8 elections, the SEC requisitioned just 22 companies of central forces, which is a fraction of the 82,000 central policemen brought in during the 2013 panchayat polls in the state.
Maintaining that the number of districts in West Bengal has increased from 17 in 2013 to 22 at present, and also that the number of the electorate has increased in these 10 years, the court directed the SEC to requisition more than 82,000 central forces personnel within 24 hours.
The court had also admonished the state election commissioner, observing that if it was difficult for him to take orders, he can step down.
The high court had on June 13 directed the SEC to requisition central forces for deployment in the districts it noted as sensitive, and to assess the situation and deploy accordingly in other districts.
Expressing unhappiness over the delay in complying with the previous order, the court on June 15 directed the deployment of central forces in all districts.
The SEC and the state government then moved the Supreme Court against the high court's orders. The apex court dismissed their petitions. -- PTI