The Election Commission (EC) has issued a stern warning to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls, declaring that this time, the elections should be free from fear, violence, intimidation, and inducement.
The EC has also warned against illegal practices, including booth capturing, booth jamming, and source jamming, which refers to disruptions in voter mobilisation or access.
West Bengal has a long history of election-related violence, with hundreds of people killed and thousands injured over the past 20 years. The 2021 Assembly elections were especially bloody, with over 1,300 incidents of violence, 25 deaths, and 7,000 cases of molestation reported.
The TMC-EC tensions have intensified over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the TMC alleging that the EC is acting in favour of the opposition BJP to remove voters from the list.
The EC has transferred 483 officials in West Bengal ahead of the polls, far more than in other states going to polls. The TMC opposed the transfers, calling them a power grab, but the EC said they are needed to ensure free and fair elections and avoid repeat post-poll violence like in 2021.
West Bengal votes in two phases: April 23 and April 29. Results will be out on May 4.
