"To conduct the polls smoothly is definitely the responsibility of the Election Commission, but to maintain law and order in the state is a state subject and the state has to look into it even at the time of the polling," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Sarkar said today.
The chief electoral officer has written to the home secretary to take measures to ensure that no clashes take place during campaigns so that the situation in the state does not go out of hand, he said.
In it the EC reiterated that as the responsibility of maintaining law and order in the state is vested with the state government and all necessary steps should be immediately taken to maintain "appropriate ambience" for smooth, free and lawful campaigning by political parties and for free exercise of individual rights to vote, Sarkar said.
"We have sent the TMC complaint to the home secretary and directed him to treat such complaints by political parties with the required importance and ensure that no poll-related violence or killings take place in the state," he added.
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Talking about the timings for phase 1A pollings (on April 4) of the elections in the state, Sarkar said voting in 13 out of 18 constituencies in Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura districts would be from 7am to 4pm, while for the five others it would be a 7am to 6pm affair.
For the phase B polls scheduled on April 17, polling would be conducted from 7am to 6pm in north Bengal, while it would be a 7 am- 4 pm one in seven constituencies in Birbhum district.