State ignores SEC demand for forces during campaigns

The State Election Commission (SEC) is apprehensive that violence might further escalate once the nomination process for next months panchayat elections gets over on June 17 and parties start campaigning.

The State Election Commission (SEC) is apprehensive that violence might further escalate once the nomination process for next months panchayat elections gets over on June 17 and parties start campaigning.

During the nomination stage,the SEC reportedly received at least 800 complaints regarding incidents of violence allegedly by ruling party workers and supporters.

The SEC said it had sought security forces from the state government for area domination and confidence-building exercises for the campaigning well in advance,but the latter has allegedly not replied to its requests. Commission officials said area domination and confidence-building of voters were necessary for free and fair elections.

While the SEC had placed a request to deploy a total of 32,150 armed forces in the 3,215 gram panchayats for area domination and confidence-building,the state government has deployed only 3,900 forces at the block level.

In fact,the government only posted forces at BDO and SDO offices where candidates filed their nominations while no security personnel was reportedly present at the panchayats.

An SEC official said they had given the details about the forces for area domination before the high court and the state government had assured of compliance.

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