How Sensitivity-Mapping Will Shape Police Deployment in West Bengal Elections
Kolkata Prepares for Upcoming Assembly Elections
Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to utilize sensitivity-mapping to guide its decisions regarding the deployment of police observers across districts for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, slated for later this year.
According to a source from the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office in West Bengal, the ECI is considering several factors for this district-wise sensitivity-mapping.
The mapping will categorize districts into three groups. The first includes those with an International Border adjacent to Bangladesh. The second group consists of districts that have experienced significant election-related violence in the last three elections, whether before, during, or after the voting. The third category encompasses districts that meet the criteria of both the first and second groups.
Murshidabad, Malda, and Cooch Behar are prime examples of districts falling into the third category, as they share borders with Bangladesh and have a history of severe electoral violence.
Conversely, districts like Howrah, which is near Kolkata, exemplify the second category. Although they do not border Bangladesh, they have a record of intense political violence.
Given these considerations, the ECI is contemplating an increase in the number of central observers across all categories, particularly police observers in these sensitive areas.
During the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the ECI appointed 170 general observers, 84 expenditure observers, and 37 police observers.
The CEO's office has been informed by the ECI's headquarters in New Delhi that there will be a significant rise in the number of observers this time, especially police observers. The Commission has indicated that at least 100 police observers will be appointed for West Bengal, nearly three times the number from 2021.
The source elaborated on the rationale behind this substantial increase in police observers.
This time, police observers will be granted enhanced authority, particularly concerning the movement of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. In previous elections, District Magistrates, who also serve as District Electoral Officers, were responsible for determining CAPF movement while the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in effect.
However, the Commission has decided that ECI-appointed police observers will now oversee CAPF movement in their respective districts. Additionally, district-specific composite teams will be established to evaluate the deployment needs for CAPF, with the police observers' decisions being final.
Sources from the CEO's office confirmed that these composite teams will assess the specific requirements for CAPF deployment in various pockets, ensuring that the police observers' judgments will carry significant weight.