State police capable enough to conduct panchayat polls: WB minister

West Bengal government on Friday said the state police was capable enough to conduct elections to local bodies. (Express Photo by Subham Dutta/Image used for representational purpose) 

Apparently ruling out the opposition’s demand for deployment of central forces for next month’s panchayat polls in the state, the West Bengal government on Friday said the state police was capable enough to conduct elections to local bodies. Central forces are deployed during Lok Sabha elections but not for polls to urban or rural bodies, State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

“I fail to understand the logic behind demanding central forces in local bodies elections. Where is the need to ask for central forces in panchayat and municipality votes?” he asked. “Besides, bringing central forces involves lots of expense and that creates too much (financial) pressure on common people,” Mukherjee said.

Referring to the meeting of Trinamool Congress delegation with Governor K N Tripathi on Thursday, he said, “We told him many people are misquoting your (governor’s) words (on the panchayat poll). This is unethical.”

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Refuting the opposition’s claim that they were not able to file nominations for the panchayat polls, the panchayat minister asked, “Had the Trinamool Congress stopped the opposition? How come they filed more nomination papers in zilla parishads than TMC so far?”

Claiming that the state’s development is visible of on all fronts, Mukherjee said, “Let the elections be fought on the basis of works done.”