In a significant decision, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Calcutta High Court to permit the deployment of Central security forces in West Bengal for the upcoming panchayat elections on July 8. The apex court, comprising a Vacation Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Manoj Misra, acknowledged the state’s history of violence during elections and emphasized the need for a free and fair electoral process. With over 75,000 seats and 61,636 polling booths to manage in a single day, the court recognized the importance of adequate security measures to prevent any untoward incidents.
While appreciating West Bengal’s democratic setup, the court stressed that elections should not be marred by violence. The State government was reminded that conducting elections should not serve as a license for violence. The ruling grants the deployment of armed Central security forces to cover the entire state, ensuring the safety and security of the electoral process
