A Division Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj of Calcutta High Court today directed the State Election Commission to preserve the footage of close circuit camera of the polling booths in the recently held four civic elections.
The commission and the state government were asked to state by affidavits their plans of deployment central para-military forces in the remaining 104 civic polls. The court directed the SEC and state to file affidavits in three days and serve advance copies to the parties. The next hearing of the petition filed by BJP on post-poll violence and deployment of the para&military forces would be held on 21 February.
Earlier, appearing before the Division Bench of the Chief Justice, Calcutta High Court, Prakash Srivastava, representing Pratap Banerjee in civic poll violence case Ranjit Kumar submitted that the court had reposed confidence in State Election Commission to hold civic elections in a free and fair manner but the ground reality was it was rendered a farce by the ruling party.
Under these circumstances, the court should direct the SEC to deploy paramilitary force for presence at the time of ensuing 104 Civic bodies election to save the democratic rights of the citizen of those municipal areas. Kumar further argued that confidence reposed on SEC was not kept. For the SEC had failed to conduct those civic bodies elections in a free and fair manner. He further stated that the government has started programmes like Duarey Sarkar which was a gross violation of the election code of conduct. He also alleged that in Bidhannagar civic poll deceased singer Dwijen Mukherjee’s vote was cast by an unknown person.
Kumar referred to various illegalities of the elections of four civic bodies. SEC has not taken any steps and is acting in a partisan manner, no democratic action can be allowed in the election. It was reported that many candidates of Opposition parties were not allowed to file their nomination for fighting civic bodies election resulting ruling party winning many civic bodies election uncontested. Kumar concluded his argument by praying to cancel all four civic bodies elections. Billodal Bhattacharya, another counsel for Banerjee prayed that CCTV footage of the election day of all four civic bodies is examined and tested by any independent agency.
Opposing the contention of the petition while appearing for the commission, Jayanta Mitra submitted that the election was peaceful except for some unrest. Advocate general, SN Mookherjee said that the election was peaceful though some reckless allegations were made against the petitioner and the police have taken steps against the miscreants. About 72 per cent of votes were cast in the election, Mitra submitted. So the court should examine the truthfulness of the allegations.