The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday told the West Bengal State Election Commission to install close circuit television cameras in all polling booths during the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, ANI reported.
The elections will be held on December 19.
A division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj also directed the panel to ensure electronic surveillance in strongrooms where electronic voting machines are kept after the polls, according to PTI.
The court’s directions came in response to a petition filed by a worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding that CCTV cameras be installed in all voting booths.
The state election commission told the court that it will ensure such surveillance at all booths.
Earlier this month, the BJP had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding that Central Armed Police Force personnel be deployed during the elections. Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing the party, alleged that the party’s candidates for the civic elections were being threatened and pressured to withdraw their nominations since the poll dates were announced.
However, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the plea and told the petitioners to approach the Calcutta High Court instead.
West Bengal had witnessed violence after the results of the Assembly elections were declared on May 2. The Trinamool Congress had won the Assembly elections while the BJP emerged as the main opposition party.
The BJP and the TMC had blamed each other for the deaths of their party workers in the violence. Various news reports had put the toll between 11 and 14, but the police did not confirm the numbers.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!