The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs) across districts in the state to execute non-bailable warrants (NBWs) before the first phase of Lok Sabha (LS) polls though the commission has not yet announced dates of general elections.
A 15-member full bench of the ECI headed by its Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar had come on a three-day-long visit to West Bengal and held series of meetings separately with state chief electoral officer (CEO) Ariz Aftab, representatives of eight recognized political parties, commissioners of police, chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police (DGP) and several agencies like Coast Guard and BSF to review preparedness of election process in the state.
The directions are to ensure transparency in giving permissions for grounds, meeting places on first-in- first out principles. No indiscriminate action to debar party workers from election/ party activities like becoming polling agents; no civic volunteers and contractual staff will be engaged for election duties or law and order maintenance directly or indirectly.
Pending NBWs should be executed in a time-bound manner. Check circulations of illegal arms; Observers deployed must visit booths, ask polling agents if something wrong happens and details of observers to be made public.
Check cases of impersonation and chhappa voters and take immediate legal action against impersonators; be absolutely impartial, transparent and accessible to all parties equally; ensure impartiality at junior officials working at cutting edge levels and absolute zero tolerance to any violence in democracy.