Bengal’s former election commissioner Mira Pande, who famously fought the Mamata Banerjee government tooth and nail exactly a decade ago to ensure the then unprecedented deployment of central forces for the 2013 panchayat elections, on Thursday hoped the poll panel and Nabanna would find a way to mutually cooperate and do the needful for free, fair and peaceful elections.
Pande in an interview to ABP Ananda said that the commission getting reprimanded before the judiciary was undesirable.
“The commission is an institution for holding free and fair elections. Therefore, it is expected that the commission would act in a free and fair mode. I am sure the present commission would also do this,” said the 1974-batch IAS officer, who took early retirement as an additional chief secretary of the Bengal government to helm the commission between 2009 and 2014.
Asked about current state election commissioner Rajiva Sinha getting repeatedly admonished in court, she said: “That is not desirable. It is unfortunate…. The commission was set up with a purpose. So that it is able to serve that purpose, all stakeholders should help the commission.”
In response to a question on how many companies of central forces she thinks would be necessary per district in Bengal, in 2023, she said: “The situation 10 years ago and now is very different."
As poll panel chief, Pande not only defied the chief minister and pressure from the ruling dispensation but also dragged the Trinamul-led state government to the Supreme Court on deploying central forces. As the apex court ruled in her favour, 825 companies of central forces were deployed for the five-phase 2013 rural polls in Bengal. Prior to that, the deployment of central forces for local body elections in the country was unheard of.
Pande said the panchayat polls, because they go deep into the grassroots and are fought over micro, local issues, tend to be more violent.
“Security personnel needs ought to be assessed accordingly, factoring in various parameters,” she said.
“The state does not have adequate police personnel for that, not always. Therefore, to conduct proper elections, forces have to be brought in from elsewhere. Central forces are the easiest, because from one source the entire requirement could be fulfilled. Besides, we have seen the people have a certain level of faith in central forces,” added Pande, who turns 74 next month.
Asked if the commissioner has enough power to take a stand to anyhow ensure adequate security, she said the commission has to assess the situation to make proper arrangements for free, fair and peaceful elections.
“Both (the state and the commission) have to work together to get it done. It is a matter of mutual cooperation. The commission will decide finally how much would be necessary, along with the state police authorities,” she said. “You need the commissioner to be there to take charge, the Constitution has authorised the commissioner. He has all the powers to conduct the election."