In an apparently unheard-of move, the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed that the elections in the Contai Cooperative Bank (CCB) in East Midnapore district would be conducted under the central paramilitary force’s supervision instead of West Bengal Police.

The elections in the CCB, which is located in the residential area of Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Legislative Assembly, are scheduled on 15 December. Around 430 candidates will contest in 108 seats of the CCB.

Shankar Bera, former chairman of the Egra Municipality in the district, moved the apex court after the district administrations allegedly refused to provide school buildings for holding and counting of elections.

The apex court today heard the petition filed by Mr Bera and directed the administration to deploy central security personnel for peaceful elections in the cooperative bank. The court has also directed to instal CCTV cameras at every polling station during elections.

Mr Adhikari was the chairman of the CCB for a long time but there is no board of directors in the bank for more than three years.

An officer on special duty (OSD), appointed by the state government has been looking after the administrative functions in the bank.

Demanding the formation of the board of directors in the bank a case was filed in the Calcutta High Court (HC) that had directed to hold the elections in the bank on 15 December. But the district administration could not arrange school buildings for holding elections owing to a pre-scheduled national level examination. Most of the school buildings in the district were booked for the examination.

The district administration had arranged buildings in some areas far away from the Contai Municipality, alleged Mr Bera and later moved the SC.

Political analysts felt that the elections in the CCB are crucial for both the BJP and ruling Trinamul Congress.

Mr Adhikary would try his best to form the administrative board in the bank because it’s located in his area while the Trinamul Congress leadership would go for an all-out attempt so that it can retain the bank.

Senior Trinamul Congress leader Akhil Giri, who is also an arch rival of Mr Adhikari has been asked to organise ruling party workers so that all voters can cast their votes.

An analyst said, “We have never seen elections in a highly localised bank be held under the security supervision of the central force which is usually seen during Assembly and Lok Sabha.