State police to handle law and order in KMC polls, SEC signals to governor

A report submitted to the West Bengal Governor by the State Election Commission clarifies that only the state and city police will be deployed on during the upcoming KMC polls in Kolkata on December 19, 2021. The report sends a clear signal that the Central Armed Forces shall remain uninvolved in the elections.

Kolkata: The State Election Commission (SEC) in West Bengal, on Tuesday, sent a report to the State Governor, Jagdeep Dhankar, which does not have any mention of the deployment of central armed forces in the forthcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls to be held on December 19, 2021.

This can be taken as a signal to the governor clarifying that the State Police will be deployed in the streets and in polling booths on the day of polls, instead of the central armed forces.

The SEC report also includes necessary details regarding the deployment of city and state police personnel on the polling day. City Police Commissioner, Soumen Mitra said that he is relying on the city and state police for maintaining law & order in the state.

Mitra added that he is determined to ensure free and fair polls. Although the polling booths will be manned by the personnel of Kolkata Police, in certain wards there will also be state police personnel.

“We are quite capable of ensuring free and fair polls. We have enough forces reserved and ready for that,” he said.

On Tuesday, Kolkata Police also submitted a detailed report to the state election commission on this count. The city Police Commissioner has already conducted a series of meetings with his subordinates in this regard and has asked the duty officers to prepare lists of proven anti-social elements in the respective areas.