Bharatiya Janata Party leaders today held a sit-in inside the office of the West Bengal chief electoral officer Aariz Aftab. They were demanding to know why there wasn’t central force deployment in all booths for the first phase of elections.
Elections were held in two constituencies in West Bengal on April 11, for the first phase: in Cooch Behar and Alipurduars.
The team of BJP members – led by Mukul Roy – sat inside the office of the CEO and demanded to know about the deployment for the subsequent phases. They have also specifically demanded deployment of central forces in all booths for the second phase. Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Raiganj will vote on April 18 for the second phase. For the other phases too, the BJP has asked for central force deployment in all polling booths.
Initially, the sit-in was held outside the office of the CEO and then, when they were allowed to meet Aftab, they squatted on the floor of his office chamber.
Roy even asked the CEO to defer elections if there was inadequate forces available for deployment.
There were sporadic incidents of violence in the first phase, and the BJP’s Cooch Behar candidate Nishith Pramanik has demanded re-poll in those booths where central forces were not deployed.
The Left delegation also met the CEO and demanded re-poll in 63 booths which they alleged the ruling party had captured.
