I am coming to West Bengal tomorrow. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already briefed me on everything about the law and order situation in the state and then decided to send me to West Bengal. I will try my best for free, fair and peaceful elections so that people can cast their mandates without fear in the state, said Alok Sinha, special observer for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The officer told The Statesman on Tuesday afternoon over phone from Delhi hours after the ECI announced names of 12 special observers for six states with two in each state.
The ECI has deputed two special election observers Mr Sinha, a retired IAS officer of 1986 batch from Uttar Pradesh and former chairman of the Airport authority of India (AAI), and Anil Kumar Sharma, retired IPS of 1984 batch in Punjab, for election in 42 LS constituencies in West Bengal.
The national poll panel has also deputed 10 other retired IAS and IPS officers as special observers for five other states Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
“Yes, I have done my homework about Bengal and will hold meetings with the state chief electoral officer (CEO) and state administrations before visiting places,” Mr Sinha said when asked about his homework for the state.
He refused to talk to this correspondent further saying, “I won’t speak to you further as you are a journalist.”
A senior retired bureaucrat of this state, who was Mr Sinha’s batchmate said, “He is a very competent officer with strong integrity and impartiality. I think he would take strong stand as and when situation requires for free and fair polls in the state that has traditions of poll violence with loss of human lives.”
Mr Sharma, former intelligence chief in Punjab, has previous experience as a poll observer in West Bengal.
He had been a special observer in the 2021 Assembly election in the state.
A retired bureaucrat in the state, requesting anonymity, said, “The election commission wants to utilize Mr Sharma’s experience as an election observer this time also.”
Mr Sinha and Mr Sharma may visit north Bengal districts first to take stock of the situation there, after landing in Kolkata. The first phase of the seven-phase general elections will be held in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar parliamentary seats on 19 April.
The second phase elections will be held in Raiganj, Balurghat and Darjeeling seats on 26 April.