12-07-2005, 03:36 AM
Pioneer.com
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>In Bengal, CEC Tandon sets off lal alarm </b>
Saugar Sengupta/ KolkataÂ
Chief Election Commissioner BB Tandon on Tuesday set alarm bells ringing in the CPI(M) headquarters at Alimuddin Street here when he declared that Election Commission will walk many extra miles to ensure free and fair polls in West Bengal.
Speaking to newspersons in Siliguri, Mr Tandon warned those in power that the "Bihar experiment" was not the only method of conducting polls in West Bengal and putting an end to the Left's "scientific rigging."
Assembly elections are due in West Bengal in early-2006. <b>There is nothing called "Bihar line" in the Election Commission's phrase book, Chief Election Commissioner BB Tandon told the mediapersons refusing to bare his strategies in West Bengal</b>. However, the CEC said he was sitting with the officials and receiving views of various parties and would evolve an <b>"appropriate strategy for conducting free and fair elections in the State."</b>
<b>The Commissioner added that the polls for West Bengal Assembly would end before the expiry of the current term in June next year. </b>
Mr Tandon is touring North Bengal officials at Japlapiguri after conducting similar meetings with the officials of Presidency and Bardhaman range last week.
Though the CEC refused to play his cards, State EC sources said the officer does not think highly of the way polls are conducted in Bengal. The EC has taken serious note of the way polls were conducted in Asansol by-elections a few months ago as well as the municipal elections early this year.
Sources said the <b>Commission has marveled at how the Left could increase its tally from 22,000 to 86,000 in five years at Jadavpur constituency. Incidentally, the seat is retained by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.</b>
Crossed by the evident politicisation of bureaucracy, <b>the EC has ordered a mass transfer of officials - from the Collector/SP rank to the officers-in-charge of police stations - who have served over three years in one place. </b>
<b>Nudged by the Commission, the administration is reportedly preparing a list of at least 80 senior and middle-level officials from DMs and SPs to the officials of the State administrative cadre who could get transfer order sooner than later</b>, insiders said. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Though Mr Tandon said all the districts would be under strong vigil insiders maintained, <b>the two 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Murshidabad, Nadia, Hooghly, Malda and Horwah could be identified as sensitive districts and would get much tougher treatment</b>. The CEC is also not happy about the way Asansol by-election was conducted a few months ago despite massive mobilisation of Central forces.
The CEC is reported to have said that he is thinking of bringing in more officials like KJ Rao of Bihar fame. In fact, the Opposition, including the NTC, has asked for Mr Rao and Mr Afzal Amanullah's service.
The latter had conducted the last year's parliamentary elections in Bengal whence he had commented that the polls in the State were peaceful though by no means fair.
In what could be<b> a tough challenge for the ruling Left Front in Bengal the Election Commission is preparing to appoint 588 observers, that is two observers for each constituency, sources said adding, while one observer will see the expenditure side the other will look at the general side</b>.
An additional army of 98 special observers will man three constituencies each. "If we find any thing wrong strict action will be taken," Mr Tandon is known to have told an assemblage of district magistrates and SPs in Jalpaiguri. Among others present in the Tuesday's meeting were DMs and SPs of the six North Bengal districts the North Bengal IG and Chief Electoral Officer Debashis Sen.
Elsewhere, Nationalist Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee demanded phased election in Bengal in addition to full deployment of Central police forces. <b>"This will reverse the trend and create a new history in Bengal electoral history,"</b> Ms Banerjee thundered at a meeting in Kolkata.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>In Bengal, CEC Tandon sets off lal alarm </b>
Saugar Sengupta/ KolkataÂ
Chief Election Commissioner BB Tandon on Tuesday set alarm bells ringing in the CPI(M) headquarters at Alimuddin Street here when he declared that Election Commission will walk many extra miles to ensure free and fair polls in West Bengal.
Speaking to newspersons in Siliguri, Mr Tandon warned those in power that the "Bihar experiment" was not the only method of conducting polls in West Bengal and putting an end to the Left's "scientific rigging."
Assembly elections are due in West Bengal in early-2006. <b>There is nothing called "Bihar line" in the Election Commission's phrase book, Chief Election Commissioner BB Tandon told the mediapersons refusing to bare his strategies in West Bengal</b>. However, the CEC said he was sitting with the officials and receiving views of various parties and would evolve an <b>"appropriate strategy for conducting free and fair elections in the State."</b>
<b>The Commissioner added that the polls for West Bengal Assembly would end before the expiry of the current term in June next year. </b>
Mr Tandon is touring North Bengal officials at Japlapiguri after conducting similar meetings with the officials of Presidency and Bardhaman range last week.
Though the CEC refused to play his cards, State EC sources said the officer does not think highly of the way polls are conducted in Bengal. The EC has taken serious note of the way polls were conducted in Asansol by-elections a few months ago as well as the municipal elections early this year.
Sources said the <b>Commission has marveled at how the Left could increase its tally from 22,000 to 86,000 in five years at Jadavpur constituency. Incidentally, the seat is retained by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.</b>
Crossed by the evident politicisation of bureaucracy, <b>the EC has ordered a mass transfer of officials - from the Collector/SP rank to the officers-in-charge of police stations - who have served over three years in one place. </b>
<b>Nudged by the Commission, the administration is reportedly preparing a list of at least 80 senior and middle-level officials from DMs and SPs to the officials of the State administrative cadre who could get transfer order sooner than later</b>, insiders said. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> Though Mr Tandon said all the districts would be under strong vigil insiders maintained, <b>the two 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Murshidabad, Nadia, Hooghly, Malda and Horwah could be identified as sensitive districts and would get much tougher treatment</b>. The CEC is also not happy about the way Asansol by-election was conducted a few months ago despite massive mobilisation of Central forces.
The CEC is reported to have said that he is thinking of bringing in more officials like KJ Rao of Bihar fame. In fact, the Opposition, including the NTC, has asked for Mr Rao and Mr Afzal Amanullah's service.
The latter had conducted the last year's parliamentary elections in Bengal whence he had commented that the polls in the State were peaceful though by no means fair.
In what could be<b> a tough challenge for the ruling Left Front in Bengal the Election Commission is preparing to appoint 588 observers, that is two observers for each constituency, sources said adding, while one observer will see the expenditure side the other will look at the general side</b>.
An additional army of 98 special observers will man three constituencies each. "If we find any thing wrong strict action will be taken," Mr Tandon is known to have told an assemblage of district magistrates and SPs in Jalpaiguri. Among others present in the Tuesday's meeting were DMs and SPs of the six North Bengal districts the North Bengal IG and Chief Electoral Officer Debashis Sen.
Elsewhere, Nationalist Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee demanded phased election in Bengal in addition to full deployment of Central police forces. <b>"This will reverse the trend and create a new history in Bengal electoral history,"</b> Ms Banerjee thundered at a meeting in Kolkata.
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