The BJP's West Bengal unit on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking an order to the State Election Commission (SEC) for deployment of central forces to ensure free and fair polls during the upcoming elections to 108 municipalities.
Mentioning the matter before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj, the BJP's counsel, Billwadal Bhattacharya, prayed for an urgent hearing as the elections were scheduled to be held on February 27.
He said that the bench has agreed to fix the matter for hearing on Wednesday.
Claiming that there have been widespread irregularities in the first two phases of municipal elections in the state despite assurances by the SEC of free and fair polls, the petitioner prayed for a direction to the commission to deploy central forces from at least 72 hours before the beginning of the polls on February 27 till the declaration of results.
It was also prayed that independent general observers be appointed for the polls to the 108 municipalities situated across the state.
The election to Kolkata Municipal Corporation was held on December 19 and that of civic bodies in Bidhannagar, Asansol, Siliguri and Chandnannagar was conducted on February 11. The Trinamool Congress won the elections to all these five corporations with an overwhelming majority.
