September 15, 2021
The Chief Election Commissioner &Election Commissioners,
Election Commission of India,
NirvachanSadan,
Ashoka Road
New Delhi-110001
Subject: West Bengal – Assembly Elections & Bye-election
Sirs,
We refer to the Press Note no ECI/PN/77/2021 dated September 4, 2021 and the Gazette notification Nos 42, 43, and 44/Notification (P)/Home (Elec) notifying elections in 56 AC Samserganj, 58 AC Jangipur and bye-election in 159 AC Bhabanipur and would like to draw your attention to the following:
1. The threat of COVID continues to loom large. Several reports about the possible variants and the forecasts of the third wave hitting anytime around the festival time have underlined this threat. The Chief Secretary Govt. of West Bengal has also issued an order today itself extending the Covid- 19 restriction measures upto 30.09.2021
2. The Commission is well aware of the pre-poll and post poll violence perpetrated by the AITC, the ruling party before, during and after the conclusion of the state assembly elections during March-May 2021. Given the fact it is a by-election and a sitting Chief Minister is contesting, the ruling party is preparing, as always, to use all unfair means to induce and intimidate the voters. There are serious apprehensions in the minds of common voters that there might be repeat and replay of such violence.
3. The AITC, its office bearers and Ministers and other senior functionaries are now preparing to abuse the state’s physical and financial resources in support of their Chief Minister candidate, Ms. Mamata Banerjee.
4. The CAPF deployment of only15 coys per AC have been sent, this is grossly inadequate, especially in 159 AC Bhabanipur where the unelected Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee is contesting for survival. AITC has deployed their entire strength of hooligans.
5. Mr. Firhad Hakim, Senior Minister and Chairman Board of Administration Kolkata Municipal Corporation had attempted to incite communal violence when he distorted the prayer for Goddess Durga by inserting the words “Mamata” in place of Goddess Durga. This has hurt the feelings of the Hindu community in a big way. The video is available on the link https://youtu.be/FpJfyUI6nLo and the same is also being provided separately on a USB drive.
6. Given the demography of this constituency, the Commission may please take serious note of such indiscretions and mischief. This can trigger communal violence.In another video, Shri Firhad Hakim is also asking people of Bhabanipur to break the legs of BJP leaders Shri Suvendu Adhikari MLA & LOP and Shri Arjun Singh MP.
7. Shri Firhad Hakim had earlier described parts of KMC as mini Pakistan and had campaigned from inside a mosque. We have serious apprehensions that he is gearing up for pre-poll violence.
In view of our experience and aforesaid reasons, we request the Hon’ble Commission to ensure the following;
1. Officers who were shifted out by the Commission, either for completing 3 years in a post or those found unfit for conducting free and fair polls and had since been reverted back in the area of the three constituencies should be immediately transferred out of the district of Kolkata. In this regard we specially draw your attention to the OCs of Kalighat, Chetla and Bhabanipur police stations.
2. Hoardings / posters / banners with photos of Smt. Mamata Banerjee should immediately removed from all Government / Municipal sites from the KMC area.
3. To ensure full protection against any possible spread of COVID, the presence of the agents of the candidates inside the polling booth should be restricted only for the polling agents of national parties and all others polling agents should be seated outside the booth at the entrance.
4. The Commission may please ensure deployment of at least 40 CAPF companies in Bhabanipur and andat least 25 coys in each of the other two ACs.
5. No containment zones or building be so declared without prior permission of the ECI.
6. No State Government / municipal employees, including teachers, should be used as polling officers and sector in-charges. We draw your attention to our letter dated December 4, 2020 and the video clipping we had provided where their trade unions had committed in front of Smt. Mamata Banerjee that “they will ensure her and her party's victory, even risking their lives in necessary”.
7. No contract workers employed by the State Government and Municipalities should be deployed for poll duty. In the recently conducted polls, despite assurances given by the CEO, contractual people including, drivers, peons are being deployed.
8. Shri Firhad Hakim, a Minister and Administrator Kolkata Municipal Corporation, a close confidante and an undeclared election agent of Ms. Mamata Banerjee should be debarred from participating in the poll process in any form and be relieved from his charge of KMC until the conclusion of elections in Bhabanipur, an area falling within the limits of KMC.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely
Arun Singh Sapan Dasgupta Locket Chatterjee
Sanjay Mayukh Om Pathak Shishir Bajoria Neeraj
Enclosed:
1. Order dated 15.09.2021 issued by the Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal extending Covid-19 restriction measures upto 30.09.2021
2. Videos of Mr. Firhad Hakim
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