A CPI(M) delegation to the Election Commission has demanded action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her brazen attempts to undermine the constitutional authority of the poll panel and adequate deployment of central forces to ensure free and fair elections. The delegation, comprising general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Central Secretariat member Nilotpal Basu, met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) twice in the first week of April. In a memorandum submitted on April 3, the Party drew the attention of CEC to the brazen attempts by Mamata Banerjee to undermine the constitutional authority of the ECI. “We had also pointed out that what she was speaking in her election meetings was blatant intimidation of the opposition, as well as, instilling a fear psychosis among the voters. This is in clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct… We are of the firm opinion that unless there is some concrete response from the EC on such violations, the voters are also not going to be convinced about the EC’s commitment to hold ‘free and fair polls’ in West Bengal,” the Party said. The Party also sought action against Trinamool Congress Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal. It requested the poll panel to make available adequate number of CRPF companies for area domination throughout the state, and not just poll-bound constituencies in districts, as well as manning of all booths with such personnel. Referring to the very critical situation prevailing in Keshpur constituency in West Medinipur, the Party said the situation has further deteriorated with the police playing a blatantly partisan role and trying to implicate the CPI(M) workers who have been attacked by members of the ruling party. “Finally, we would like to remind you of our concern over the attempts made by the state government to suppress officers who are independent and were sincerely trying to implement the directions of the EC in its letter and spirit. If officers cannot be insulated from such unjustified action, the partisan approach of the state administration cannot be rectified… We and the people were expecting certain definitive action to be initiated against Commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar. There is major evidence of his unseemly and partisan role. The absence of any positive action is being viewed as a setback in holding free and fair polls,” the memorandum said. A day after the polling on April 4, the delegation again met the CEC and shared “our broad positive sense over the manner in which the first part of phase-1 of the elections to the West Bengal Assembly was held”. The Party also reiterated it demands for action against the chief minister and Kolkata Police Commissioner. Though the first phase polling was over all free and fair, “there are still loose knots in the electoral mechanism which need to be addressed. There have been quite a few instances where contrary to earlier pronouncements, state police officials were found inside polling booths and in some instances, even found influencing voters. The area domination in the localities by Central Police Forces were found to be misdirected by the state police. The state police constables posted outside the booth to manage the voters queue were also, in many cases, seen to be generally guiding the CRPF. The CRPF also was found in some instances to be placed outside the booths rather than inside,” the Party said in a memorandum to the CEC. One major problem was the inadequate time that the quick response teams (comprising CRPF personnel) stayed put in a place of an incident; even though the responses were prompt, being directed from the sector centre (a cluster of about 10 booths) both for civil, as well as police forces. This allowed the miscreants to regroup immediately after CRPF left, leading to recurrence of trouble. “We also reiterate the demand for early deployment of additional companies of Central security forces, as soon as they are available after the Assam elections are over, to step up ‘area domination’,” the delegation said.