In a significant development on Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected the West Bengal government’s plea against the deployment of central forces for the upcoming panchayat elections, a decision both criticised and welcomed by different political factions.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) expressed confidence in securing victory in the polls despite this decision. They believe that the verdict will not adversely affect their electoral prospects. TMC MP Sougata Roy stated that while they respect and will abide by the court order, they had reservations about the deployment of central forces, fearing it could lead to confusion. Roy recalled previous instances like the 2013 rural polls and subsequent elections where TMC emerged victorious despite similar deployments. “We are confident about the victory of the TMC in the panchayat polls, based on the development work we have done in the last 12 years,” Roy declared.
Meanwhile, opposition parties, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, questioned TMC’s opposition to central forces’ deployment if the party is indeed confident about their impending victory. He expressed hopes that the court’s order would be followed rigorously by the State Election Commission (SEC), emphasising that any potential bias towards the TMC, which has been accused of violence and obstructing opposition candidates from filing nominations, must be curtailed. The BJP hailed the Supreme Court’s decision as a “lesson” for the Mamata Banerjee government and a “moral defeat” for the TMC. BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, stating that the Mamata Banerjee government was “exposed” for allegedly protecting violent activities and attempting to prevent efforts to stop violence, claimed the decision as a victory for democracy and admonition to the West Bengal government.
The State Congress president, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, expressed concern about the central forces’ proper utilisation, stating that the SEC and the state administration would be in charge of their deployment. Likewise, CPI (M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty urged the SEC to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities and ensure a peaceful environment conducive to free and fair elections.
Violence over the filing of nominations for the July 8 polls has been widespread, causing at least five deaths and numerous injuries across the state. The Supreme Court’s order comes as a response to the pleas challenging a Calcutta High Court order, which earlier directed the SEC to requisition and deploy central forces across West Bengal for the panchayat elections. The decision underscores the urgent need to ensure free and fair elections across the state.
This is a high-stakes poll in the run up to the general elections early next year and against the background of talk of opposition unity . This is the second state after Delhi which is resisting and questioning central interference which has ignited a political slugfest . The upcoming June 23 opposition meeting in Patna is crucial for many reasons . Despite calls for a common minimum programme it remains to be seen if the parties agree to a common programme and most importantly a common PM candidate to take on the BJP
