A CPI(M) delegation consisting of general secretary, Sitaram Yechury and Polit Bureau member Hannan Mollah met Sunil Arora, the Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, on May 18, and submitted a  memorandum.  We are reproducing the memorandum here:

We are writing to you to express deep apprehensions over the polling due to be held tomorrow in West Bengal.

Please find enclosed 10 letters addressed to the state authorities by CPI(M) candidate Fuad Halim in Diamond Harbour, Parliamentary Constituency(PC),  CPI(M) South 24 district committee secretary, Samik Lahiri and election agent of Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, CPI(M) candidate in 22 Jadavpur Parliamentary Constituency.  These letters are self-explanatory and would require immediate intervention by the Election Commission of India.

The CPI(M) had demanded re-polling in 630 booths, across various constituencies, including 298 in 30-Tamluk constituency.  The re-polling has become essential due to the large-scale disturbances that were reported in many polling booths.  No decision on this matter has been taken by the ECI. 

Though central forces are present in the state, they are not being deployed to create confidence amongst the people regarding the conduct of a free and fair poll.  The promised route marches by the CRPF are not taking place.  This should immediately be rectified and the CEC must direct the compliance of its earlier directives. 

Finally, we wish to once again draw your attention to the fact that the accessibility of the observers appointed by the ECI is very limited and rare.  The observers should be available to receive complaints and irregularities and must immediately intervene to do the needful. 

• Below we reproduce the content of the letters written by Fuad Halim: 

This is to inform you that since the past few days Sreemanta Baidya of Budge Budge assembly constituency(AC) and Jehangir Khan of Falta AC are moving around with a convoy of 15 cars carrying armed goons from outside and the local police are escorting them. These persons have been provided state police security and they are misusing the same to threaten the common voters and my party workers. 

I foresee a repeat of the panchayat election, vote loot scenario. 

Please immediately take due action in restricting the movement of these notorious criminals as they are openly intimidating the voters.

The above letter was written to the district magistrate.

Another letter was written to the superintendent of police, Diamond Harbour:

Please note that Jehangir Khan is moving in a convoy of 14 vehicles (4 tata sumos, 4 maruti vans, 2 scorpios and other vehicles). One pick up van with suspicious material has also been reportedly seen as part of this convoy. This convoy is being escorted by the police. This convoy is going around Falta AC and threatening voters and my polling agents. 

One more letter to the SP, Diamond Harbour:

This is to inform you that TMC criminals were making bombs, which went off and injured many of them, namely, Arifuddin Lashkar, Ebra Sheikh and others. This has occurred a few hours ago at village Moriberia, gram panchayat Basuldanga, PS Diamond Harbour. It was here that I was attacked by these same anti socials on April 27, in this same area. 

We have been continuously informing the authorities for appropriate action but to no avail. 

Please initiate appropriate action and recover the arms and bomb cache that has been piled up to be used on the day of election. 

The SP, Diamond Harbour was apprised once again on May 18:

This is to bring to your notice and register a complaint in regard to the partisan behavior of the Diamond Harbour police station. They have picked up my party worker Kaushik Seth from his home. Kaushik Seth is a law student and verbally the police party has told his family members that he has been taken by the police on instructions of the higher authorities. This action by the police, a day before the election against my party worker, especially since no case of FIR exists against him, is a clear action by the police to harass and intimidate my workers so that it may demoralise and impact their participation in the election work tomorrow. 

Please ensure his immediate release unconditionally at the earliest and take strong action against the police officers who are participating in such blatant partisan activities. 

• Samik Lahiri, district secretary wrote the following letters:

The special police observer for West Bengal appointed by the ECI was apprised through this letter.

The situation in Diamond Harbour PC is explosive and if the current trend is allowed, we are courting disaster and this is surely going to be a humongous blot on the 2019 Lok Sabha election. I see every possibility of recurrence of the last panchayat election. 

I am trying to get you since day before yesterday but could not. Please let me know today when and where I can meet you. It is very urgent.

I am waiting for your response. 

Another letter addressed to the CEO, West Bengal: 

Sreemanta Baidya of Budge Budge and Jahangir Khan of Falta both are moving with a convoy consisting of 15 cars carrying armed goons from outside and local police is escorting them. How can one rely upon these local police personnel who are flag bearers of ruling party? 

The route march is restricted to the metal roads whereas the requirement lies for them to visit the heavily and densely populated interior places of the polling stations.

I have been drawing your attention since yesterday but no effective measures have been initiated till now.

In my earlier message I had mentioned few AITC workers were injured while making bombs. Please do not allow recurrence of the last panchayat election. Hope realising the gravity of the situation your office will act accordingly.

Another letter was also sent to the CEO, West Bengal:

From reliable sources, I am informed that the chief minister of West Bengal has directed the IGP (Presidency) Rajesh Singh, to camp at Bishnupur to conduct election for Diamond Harbour PC, so that the criminal machinery of TMC can rig the election in four assembly constituencies namely Budge Budge, Satgachhia, Falta and Diamond Harbour.  Incharge (IC) Diamond Harbour, IC Falta, IC Nodakhali and IC Budge Budge must be cautioned and appropriate action should be initiated as they are acting in a partisan manner. Mehebub Mollah, Gautam Adhikary of Diamond Harbour, Jahangir Khan of Falta and Sreemanta Baidya of Budge Budge should be put under "house arrest” with the seizure of their mobile phones to conduct free, fair and smooth election on May 19. I am informed that all these four TMC leaders with past criminal records have been provided with ‘Y’ category security by the state government on May 16.  This has been done so that with the help of the security personnel they can intimidate voters and our Party workers.

Please act promptly on the above mentioned issues.

The district electoral officer, South 24 Parganas was also apprised through a letter:

This is to inform that TMC criminals were making bombs which went off and injured many of these criminals namely Arifuddin Lashkar, Ebra Sheikh and others. This has occurred a few hours ago at village Moriberia, gram panchayat Basuldanga, PS Diamond Harbour. It was here that our candidate Fuad Halim was attacked by these same anti socials on April 27.

We have been continuously informing the authorities for appropriate action but to no avail. 

Please initiate appropriate action and recover the arms and bomb cache that has been piled up to be used on the day of election. 

Once again a letter was written to the district electoral officer, South 24 Parganas:

Jahangir Khan of Falta is moving with a huge convoy consisting of 15 cars full with outsiders and police is escorting this convoy. One pickup van having suspicious paper cartons is there in the convoy. How is police allowing such a convoy of a TMC leader and escorting them?

22 bikes are moving in all booths of Gopalpur. Bombs are being busted in all booths of Gopalpur since last night to create panic among the voters. Our candidate and election agent have been informing the Falta PS, however the police is not acting on those complaints.

Please refrain Falta PS from providing illegal services to AITC.

• Subrata Dasgupta, election agent of Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya wrote a letter to the chief electoral officer, West Bengal:

This is to bring to your kind notice that Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, the CPI(M) candidate contesting from 22 Jadavpur PC, was in his campaign with his party workers at Shaheed Smriti colony under Panchasayar police station. With due permission from ECI, the concerned officer in-charge of the PS was also informed.

Aroop Biswas , from TMC and Ananya Banerjee, councillor of this 109 Ward of Kolkatta Municipal Corporation(KMC) directly provoked their goons and miscreants to disturb the campaign of Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. As a result, while the candidate approached to the voters, he and his associates were obstructed and his associates were assaulted. They used very filthy language, directly hit the participants and even tried to molest the female participants, namely Gopa Biswas. She was also beaten up and her clothing was torn by the drunken miscreants of TMC. Gopa Biswas has also lodged an FIR, vide FIR number 47/2019, dated May 16, 2019, under sections 323,341,354,506,114 of IPC at Panchasayar PS.

The police party instead of removing obstructers permitted them to carry on such hooliganism.

Now this is to bring to your kind notice that the entire Saheed Smriti area, consisting of booth numbers 135, 136, 137 and 138 under 150 Jadavpur AC is vulnerable. In the last assembly election in 2016 the whole area was under domination of the central force on poll day. Area domination and the route march were done for several times before the polling. A police camp was also there for last ten days before the polls.

We demand your intervention as soon as possible to ensure peace and order of the whole area and the peaceful voting process through the polling day.

It is obvious from the activities of the police that the officer-in-charge is not in a position to cow down the hooligans; on the contrary they are being   encouraged. Hope your kind co-operation and necessary action.