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Kolkata, Nov 6 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday sought an affidavit from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a case on the ongoing special intensive review by the commission in West Bengal.
A division bench of Calcutta High Court Acting Chief Justice Sujay Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen directed the commission to file the affidavit by November 18.
On October 31, a petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court seeking court-monitored SIR exercise in West Bengal. In the petition, the petitioner had also sought the court’s intervention so that the time period for conducting the revision exercise could be extended.
Also, the petitioner had prayed to the Calcutta High Court to direct the ECI to give a detailed explanation on why the SIR exercise is necessary.
The matter came up for hearing on Friday and at the end of the hearing the bench directed the ECI to file an affidavit on the commission’s arguments in the case by November 19.
During the hearing on Friday, the petitioner’s counsel also sought specific directions from the court on the safety of booth level officers (BLOs), noting that BLOs often face threats while conducting SIR exercises.
However, the division bench refused to give any separate direction on this issue of security of BLOs. The division bench said that since the state government knows well how to ensure the safety of its employees, there is no need for a separate direction from the court in this matter.
The first phase of the three-phase SIR in West Bengal has started on November 4. In the first phase, BLOs are going to the doorsteps of voters with enumeration forms.
The entire SIR exercise is expected to be completed by March, and soon after, crucial assembly elections are expected in West Bengal. The last time SIR was conducted in West Bengal was in 2002.
–IANS
Source/PGH