Kolkata, March 5 (IANS): Reports of daily route marches conducted by personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) already deployed in West Bengal, are being sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Each police station under whose jurisdiction such route marches are being conducted is sending reports to the respective election cells, which will forward them to the Chief Election Officer in Kolkata, who in turn will give periodic updates to the ECI’s headquarters in the national Capital.
The basic purpose of the early deployment of the CAPF is to instill confidence among the voters ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, even though the polling dates are yet to be announced.
A total of 920 CAPF companies have been allotted for West Bengal and the ruling Trinamool Congress party has raised objections to this early deployment.
A full ECI Bench is already in West Bengal to take stock of the poll-preparedness and has directed the state’s police administration to execute pending non-bailable arrest warrants at the earliest and send it a report.
The ECI Bench has also communicated to the police administration that civic volunteers attached to the state police should not be used for any kind of poll-related duty, directly or indirectly.