Keeping “goons and lumpens” in check, AI-powered cameras, high-scale seizures, and confidence-building measures for voters are some of the measures that the Election Commission (EC) says it took to ensure a largely violence-free Assembly election in West Bengal.
According to EC, four to five key factors helped the poll body conduct incident-free polls. First, the poll panel says it took measures two days before polling to “instill fear among goons” who had resorted to violence in previous elections. At the same time, administrative measures were taken to build confidence among voters.
A senior EC official said two days before polling, the EC was able to “overpower anti-social elements” with the help of the Central forces. “The state police placed some of these people under preventive arrest and the ones who were not, were issued stern warnings. They were told that the EC this time has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards violence,” the official saod.
Placing officers who “knew the state” at the helm of the process also seemingly worked in the poll panel’s favour. “Earlier, officers who were seen as outsiders and those who did not know about the state would helm the election process. This time, Special Observer Subrata Gupta and West Bengal Chief Election Officer Manoj Agarwal both knew the geography and understood the demography of the state,” the official said.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a conflict monitoring organisation, Bengal has reported more election-related violence than any other state since 2020.
The data also shows that Bengal saw over 300 incidents of election-related violence in which over 50 people lost their lives. The incident that grabbed the headlines in 2021 occurred in the Sitalkuchi Assembly seat, along the India-Bangladesh border. Four people lost their lives after the Central forces deployed for election duty opened fire outside a polling booth in Jorapatki village.
The top three districts that saw most incidents of violence and deaths are North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, and Cooch Behar. While this time there were sporadic incidens of violence, there were no poll-related deaths.
Seizures and transfers
According to the EC, “illicit inducements” worth more than Rs 510 crore were seized this time, surpassing the 2021 tally of Rs 339 crore.
The run-up to the two-phase elections also saw the highest number of election-related transfers as compared to Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, which also went to polls. While 483 officials were transferred in Bengal, all other regions that saw polls together saw only 23 officials being shifted. “No police officers were allowed to make any unholy nexus with any local political forces as they were transferred frequently. Also, the police and administrative officers were given free hand to take action,” a senior IAS officer said.
Citing law and order concerns, the EC on April 20 also banned bike rallies for 48 hours and barred two-wheelers from 6 am to 6 pm, except in case of emergencies. “This helped sanitise areas as issuing threats while being bike borne is very common in Bengal,” said a senior police officer.
The Calcutta High Court initially quashed the restrictions but modified its order, allowing a 12-hour ban and keeping essential services out of the ambit.
A hawk-eye view
The poll body equipped central forces, micro-observers and the state police with body cameras to ensure minute-by-minute and real time monitoring of activity at polling booths.
The removal of the memory card from camera was mandated to be done only at a designated data collection and receiving centre in the presence of an Assistant Returning Officer (ARO).
Cameras were installed inside and outside polling booths and also in each vehicle that was used by the poll body.
“All cameras were AI-driven. If the camera captured an unusual gathering, it would alert the control room and within a minute the concerned officer was informed about it. The concerned officer was given extra personnel to handle the situation if the control room deemed it necessary,” said another senior EC official.
Agarwal credited the smooth conduct of polls to the people of West Bengal while Gupta said the EC faced more challenges during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The West Bengal Assembly polls were held amid heavy deployment of central forces. 
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