Full bench of Election Commission to reach Bengal on March 3
A full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by its chief Rajiv Kumar, will be reaching Kolkata on Sunday to assess the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal.
This is the first visit of the ECI full bench in the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
According to sources in the office of state CEO (Chief Electoral Officer), Bengal, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will be reaching in the evening while other members of the full bench including Deputy Election Commissioner and Principal Secretary are expected to reach in the afternoon following which it will hold a meeting with state CEO Aariz Aftab.
The next day the ECI will hold a meeting with the recognised political parties and follow it up with meetings with the district magistrates and police superintendents. It will also hold meetings with the nodal officer of the central forces and the nodal officer of the state police. The bench is also likely to hold meetings with the enforcement agencies.
On Tuesday, the full bench will hold a meeting with the state Chief Secretary and state Director General of Police. The bench will then address the media before leaving for Delhi.
About 100 companies of central forces have already reached Bengal on Friday and have started a route march for confidence building among the voters. Another 50 companies will come on March 7.
The Commission has decided to deploy 920 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls which is the highest among all states and Union territories.
In the previous Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission deployed 740 companies of central forces in a phased manner to ensure a peaceful Lok Sabha elections.