EC to identify sensitive booths

KOLKATA: For the first time, the Election Commission has taken upon itself the job of identifying sensitive polling booths in Bengal. The data is likely to serve as a valuable input in determining the number of phases for conducting the crucial assembly polls.
A "comprehensive" job to this effect was, however, already done by the state administration a few months ago. According to the state survey, 50% of the state's 51,919 polling booths are sensitive.But the figure didn't convince chief election commissioner (CEC) S Y Quraishi when he came visiting on January 8.
The CEC had wanted to know on what basis (or guidelines) the state had done its survey. Turning down the state's survey conducted under the supervision of SPs and DMs, the Election Commission has now decided to do the survey all over again. The police unlike on the earlier occasions may only help out.
Under the guidance of chief electoral officer (CEO) Sunil Gupta, election officials all over the state have started identifying the sensitive polling booths. Officials in the CEO's office said that after the EC survey, the final figure of sensitive booths could be at least 15% higher than the state's findings.
The Election Commission has fixed five parameters for the identification. Sensitive or critical polling stations will be catalogued after analyzing the number of non-EPIC voters and of missing voters without family linkage. Most importantly, a booth will be marked sensitive if despite more than 75% of votes having been cast during the last election, 75% of them went in favour of a particular candidate. Polling stations having vulnerable pockets will also be marked sensitive along with those where repoll had been conducted "due to malpractice, and where electoral violence has taken place during the last elections.
The general rule for identifying sensitive booths involves looking at the history of violence, repoll and volatile political atmosphere in the area. The poll panel will also take these factors into account.
According to the EC's latest diktat, the administration (SPs and DMs) would come into the picture only for gauging the last two parameters. The first three would be done by the district election officer (DEO) in coordination with the CEO. In other words, it would be the EC's own survey with help from the state administration.
Election officials all over the state got cracking on Monday because the report must be compiled at the earliest. The data would have to be submitted to the poll panel by the middle of next month so that decisions like the deployment of paramilitary forces can be taken. The number of sensitive polling booths would be a deciding factor on the number of phases as well.
A senior official in the state administration said: "The EC's decision to do the survey on its own is a clear message to the ruling party that has been in the habit of active participation in these electioneering nitty gritty. In fact, members of the ruling party are often asked to be present in meetings conducted by the DMs and SPs for identifying sensitive booths. This time, the DMs and SPs will only play second fiddle in the process, leaving no room for third party access."