Kolkata: Hours after a single-judge bench of Calcutta High Court quashed BJP's plea of deploying central forces during Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), BJP moved the division bench of the High Court on Thursday.
According to Justice Rajsekhar Manthan, the state police have assured him of ‘safety’ and ‘free and fair election’.
“The High Court had instructed the State Election Commission to conduct the KMC polls through state and city police and quashed the plea of BJP to deploy central forces during the polls,” said the High Court sources.
Soon after the verdict, the BJP moved the division bench challenging the single bench, hearing of which is due on Friday.
BJP leader Shishir Bajoria said that the state government had failed to maintain ‘peace’ through state police for which the saffron camp will stick to their claims of deployment of CAPF during polls.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the HC had given charge to SEC to conduct free and fair election and also that if there is any untoward incident then the BJP will fight back.
“Our cadres will be kept ready as if there is any news of violence or fake voters in any area then the saffron camp cadres will fight back. The spontaneity of people is clearly showing, the people are in favor of BJP and just to stop people from voting for the saffron camp, the TMC workers will definitely resort to violence,” said Suvendu.
KMC chairperson Firhad Hakim said that TMC national secretary Abhishek Banerjee had instructed the party leaders to conduct KMC polls ‘democratically’.
“The TMC has won the KMC polls and it is clear by the response of people. The BJP just being afraid is asking for a central force just to be in the news as they know that people of the state had rejected the saffron camp and not just in KMC but TMC will mark victory in all the civic polls,” mentioned Hakim.
Meanwhile, BJP had written a letter to State Election Commission alleging violation of model code of conduct by TMC MLA Vivek Gupta by allegedly distributing laptops in Kolkata Municipal Corp area and sought cancellation of Gupta’s campaigning.
