The recent directive of the Election Commission (EC) against poll graffiti on walls without consent from the private party owing the structure, or defacement of government property, has led to the filing of 26 cases of violation against parties, said Debasis Sen, chief election commissioner of West Bengal.
“We have party wise break up also but we would not like to disclose it since we would like to give chance for rectification. In most of the cases it was wall writing, cutout or banner, we have asked the party concerned to wipe it out or give us letter of permission, there is a daily monitoring system.” said Sen.
Some violations were reported by 120-odd EC squads deployed across the state while others were reported by police stations or the media. In the last Assembly elections in 2006, poll graffiti was banned after a directive from the Election Commission on the West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1976, based on a law passed by Siddhartha Sankar Ray, as the chief minister, during the Emergency).
